Overview of the week's top stories
since 9 April 2002

The parliamentary commission decided to interview several of the people about whom Petek had written, since it is believed Petek’s articles are what led to the attack. Among those called were several people associated with Nova Kreditna Banka (NKBM), other Koroška businessmen and the former head of the special prosecution group, later minister of justice Barbara Brezigar.

The commission also plans to speak to the journalists being sued by Janko Zakršnik, owner of the Slovenj Gradec-based firm Eurocity. Zakršnik filed suit earlier this year, alleging that articles about him published by Petek and other journalists from 1999 to 2001 were slanderous and caused him emotional stress.

The move represents a shift for the inquiry commission, which until now has busied itself with investigating the manner in which the already fourteen-month long police investigation has been handled.

Also this week, the IFJ wrapped up its independent investigation with a visit by special investigator Alexander Sami to Ljubljana. From Wednesday to Friday, Sami met with various players in the case, including representatives of the government, the police and the media.

Sami told the press on Friday that he has collected sufficient information about the case to prepare his report, and he also praised state organs for their willingness to cooperation in the investigation.

After several international journalists’ groups protested the snail’s pace of the police investigation into the Petek affair, and the allegations that the investigation was being hampered by dealings between local businessmen and the police, the IFJ announced it would launch its own investigation late last December.

The final report will be sent not only to the Slovene authorities, but also to the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the UN.

Dolenjski List reported this week that evidence gathered so far in the suit against General Director of Police Marko Pogorevc does not support the claims against him.

Earlier this year, an unidentified woman who now lives in Canada filed suit against Pogorevc, accusing him of raping her near Novo Mesto in 1992. Exactly why it took a decade for the suit to be filed is still not clear, though Pogorevc claims it is a smear campaign.

The suit is based on the report of a private detective agency the woman hired to gather evidence on her behalf. So far, the state prosecutor’s office in Novo Mesto has interviewed 23 people in connection with the case based on that report. No one, however, has supported her allegations.

The referendum conducted last weekend in the community of Šmartna pri Litiji saw a majority vote in favor of breaking away from the town of Litija and becoming Slovenia’s 193^rd legally registered town. Unofficial results show that 1890 people voted for "independence," or 64.5 percent of voters. Voter turnout was unusually high, at 74.9 percent.

Though turnout for Slovenia's first general election in 1992 was 80 percent, it has declined ever since, particularly in urban areas. Referenda normally have significantly lower rates than general elections . Last year’s referendum on artificial insemination – despite the tremendous controversy and overwhelming public awareness of the issue – only managed to attract 35.7 percent of voters to the polls.

Referenda were also conducted on Sunday in three communities that wish to change allegiances from one town to another, as well as in the three communities that would receive the new communities.

Turnout figures for the towns that would receive the communities was markedly lower, In Škofja Loka, only 11.5 turned out. Of those, 93.1 voted in favor of joining Sveti Lenart to their town. Voters in Hajdin also approved of taking on the a community, Lancove Vasi, with almost 95 percent voting in favor, of the 29.6 percent who voted. Kranj saw a turnout of 15.8 percent, of which 85 percent voted to join Lancove Vasi to the town.

The low voter turnout figures for these three cities creates a low overall average. Of the 66,000 eligible to participate in the referenda, only 10750 – 16.3 percent – did. Most of the press chose to emphasize this figure in its coverage.

The referenda are not binding, however. It remains the decision of parliament whether to approve the establishment of the new town and the three reorganizations.

A small group calling themselves A-MORA staged a demonstration at the United States embassy on Wednesday against US support of Israeli actions against the Palestinians, calling Israeli policies "genocidal." The group held a moment of silence in honor of those Palestinians who have died in the struggle for an independent Palestine.

The group intended to place a funerary wreath on the embassy building itself, but police stopped them, citing security reasons. The wreath was hung on a tree across the street, facing the embassy. A small banner on the wreath reads "In memory of those who have died for freedom" in both the Slovene and Arabic languages

The demonstration was at the US embassy, since Israel does not have an embassy in Ljubljana.

One member of the group told Pop TV that the demonstration was also intended to protest the fact that Slovenia has done nothing to support the Palestinians, saying that Slovenia only knows how to follow US policies.

A second group showed up later in the week calling itself MORE - BRE. This group staged a similar demonstration, but stressed the Israeli civilians who have died in the recent crisis as a result of the suicide bombers.

The fifth Festival of Slovene Film ended last weekend with Šelestenje (Rustling Landscapes) by director Janez Lapajnet walking away with top honors, including Vesnas for best feature-length film and best actor, as well as the Audience award and the Society of Slovene Film Critics’ Award. Šelestenje entered into domestic distribution on Friday, with a gala premier at Kino Udarnik in Maribor.

To mark the 50^th anniversary of the first Slovene animated film, Slovenska Kinoteka is running a month-long retrospective. Screenings take place Mondays in April.

Though Slovene animation officially began on 5 November 1952 with the Ljubljana premier of the animated film Sedem na En Mah (Seven to One Moss) by Saša Dobrila, its history begins some thirty years before.

In addition to the films, a roundtable on Slovene animated film today is scheduled for the end of the month.