Human Rights Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek has been selected the "Name of the Year" on public broadcaster RTV Slovenija's radio station Val 202.
Hanzek won the competition that included medical doctor Mojca Sencar, cross-country skier Petra Majdic, the leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats (LDS) Jelko Kacin, and rock group Siddharta.

Also competing for the award were President Janez Drnovsek, athlete Matic Osovnikar, radio announcer Andrej Karoli, comedian and radio-TV talk show host Saso Hribar and Izola Mayor Breda Pecan.

The listeners of Val 202 selected the finalists from a number of more or less famous names from politics, arts and culture, or sports in a vote that took place each Monday throughout the year in the "name of the week" competition.

The finalists selected the winner among themselves.

Hanzek, a sociologist, expert on Slovenia's social issues and a distinguished human rights activist from the 1980s, was appointed Slovenia's ombudsman in 2001. His term ends on 21 February.

He was recently put in the limelight by entering into a scuffle with the government over the issue of a relocated Roma family, after saying that the temporary relocation represented the end of the rule of law.