LJUBLJANA: Slovenia's main opposition party Positive Slovenia (PS) filed Friday a no-confidence vote motion against the government, likely spelling an end for Prime Minister Janez Jansa's troubled administration.
"We have decided to bring this agony to an end," the head of PS's parliamentary group Jani Moderndorfer said after filing the motion in parliament.
The centre-left party suggested its acting leader Alenka Bratusek form a new government that will "pull Slovenia out of this political crisis and end the agony of Janez Jansa's government."
Slovenia's government has been slowly falling apart ever since the country's anti-corruption watchdog in January published the results of a probe containing corruption allegations against Jansa.
Two junior partners -- the pensioners' party DESUS and the Civil List (DL) -- quit the five-way ruling coalition after Jansa rejected their call to resign, with a third party, the People's Party (SLS), threatening to leave as well.
With support from just a third of deputies in the 90-seat parliament, Jansa's government is now unlikely to survive the no-confidence vote, which has to take place in the next seven days, although a date has not yet been set.
Moderndorfer said Friday that Bratusek had already met with the leaders of the opposition Social Democrats Party (SD) as well as DESUS and the Civil List, and had their support for a new government.
"We have agreed that all the conditions exist for us to make a step forward," the PS deputy said, describing the current turmoil as "the deepest political crisis in Slovenia's history."
The no-confidence vote motion was presented only hours after Foreign Minister and DESUS leader Karl Erjavec, as well as Health Minister Tomaz Gantar, quit the government in line with their party.
Former PS leader and Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovic, who was also accused of irregularities by the anti-corruption watchdog in January, finally agreed to step down on Thursday, leaving the room free for Bratusek to represent the party.
PS won early elections in 2011, gaining 27 seats in parliament. But when it failed to agree on a coalition government, the mandate went to Jansa's Slovenian Democratic Party, which has 26 seats.
- AFP/jc
Slovenian government slapped with no-confidence motion
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Slovenian government slapped with no-confidence motion
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Slovenian government slapped with no-confidence motion
