Two Slovene dailies commented Wednesday's failure to appoint Ombudsman Ivan Bizjak for another term in office. Bizjak, Slovenia's first ever ombudsman who is proposed by the President Milan Kucan, received 53 votes of the 62 lawmakers present, and with that fell 7 short of the two-thirds majority needed for his re-election.
Delo: Social Democrats Against Ombudsman
The forecast of voting results in Slovenia's parliament is a thankless task. The expected may not occur even when it seems that results could be forecasted without much risk. The voting of lawmakers is quite unpredictable. The result of voting on the ombudsman is from this point of view no great surprise. However, it is surprising that the ruling coalition partners (SLS+SKD Slovene People's Party and Social Democrats) could not decide on uniform support for the candidate. It is understandable that a part of the opposition Liberal Democracy was not prepared to assure support for the Ombudsman, but it is completely unusual that Bizjak was not supported by any of the Social Democrat lawmakers present. Three voted against, even though no one publicly criticised his work. Ombudsman Ivan Bizjak, whose six-year term expires at the end of September, has performed the task well. This is admitted by both lawmakers of the ruling coalition and the opposition. He established an institute which Slovenia wrote in its constitution with great expectation. Even those who think that certain fields should be given more attention, in the end establish that the Ombudsman can not do away with all infringements of human rights.
Dnevnik: Ombudsman to Face Election Marathon?
It looks like Ombudsman Ivan Bizjak's summer holidays have been ruined. They were ruined by lawmakers of Slovenia's lawmakers since they did not give him the votes need for his re-appointment. Why should Mister Ombudsman be happy and relax before the expiration of his six-year term, when the lawmakers will have to sweat it out during most of summer, which will be a red hot pre-election
summer?! All the way from the beginning all seemed so good for his candidacy that it could be labelled quite unbelievable if he was elected without a fuss, given the Slovene political conditions and the proverbial Slovene envy. The President of Slovenia will now have to repeat the selection process for the candidate for Ombudsman and propose a new or once again propose Bizjak as the candidate. The current Ombudsman's term ends on 29 September. The most black scenario would see this young and integral state institution remain without a head at that time. We believe that this will not happen, if not because of anything else, because Europe would make a fool out of our parliamentary democracy and political immaturity.
