Online petition launched against Rupel

Some 7,000 people have already signed an online petition on the Facebook social networking site, demanding the political retirement of Dimitrij Rupel. The petition was initiated in protest at new Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor’s decision to appoint the Slovenian politician as one of his foreign policy advisers. Online petition launched against Rupel Rupel, who was Slovenia’s foreign minister for many years as a member of the left-wing Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (LDS) party, switched sides at the last minute before the 2004 parliamentary elections to join now ousted former Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), which went on to triumph at that ballot. Rupel was reappointed foreign minister following the SDS’s victory in 2004. The LDS returned to power in September, led by Borut Pahor. Rupel participated in the most recent elections as an SDS member, and was not even able to retain his parliamentary seat. At its last cabinet meeting, the former government nominated Rupel as Slovenia’s new ambassador to Austria, but President Danilo Tirk overturned this decision. Much to the dismay of the Slovenian public, as shown by recent opinion polls, Pahor named Rupel as one of his foreign advisers without the party’s knowledge. The Facebook petition opposes Pahor’s decision and calls on Rupel to withdraw from political life. “We want to organize a widespread campaign to force Rupel to quit his position. After all of the damage he has caused over the last 20 years, after losing in the last elections, after the lack of trust shown in him by the president, we think that it his high time for him to retire,” the initiators of the petition state. They add that they want to close “this dark period, which is why Rupel must leave Slovenian diplomacy altogether.” The initiators want a referendum to be held to pass a law for Rupel’s retirement. “Rupel was one of the leading proponents of Bush’s policies, he supported the bloody war against terrorism, helped spread NATO’s influence and tarnished Slovenia’s position in the world,” the initiative states. The Slovenian public also responded negatively to pictures taken recently of Rupel going shopping during work hours, while Pahor was away on a official visit. Rupel traveled to the store, 300 meters from his office, in a government vehicle accompanied by a chauffeur and security official.

Online petition launched against Rupel

Rupel, who was Slovenia’s foreign minister for many years as a member of the left-wing Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (LDS) party, switched sides at the last minute before the 2004 parliamentary elections to join now ousted former Prime Minister Janez Janša’s Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), which went on to triumph at that ballot.

Rupel was reappointed foreign minister following the SDS’s victory in 2004.

The LDS returned to power in September, led by Borut Pahor.

Rupel participated in the most recent elections as an SDS member, and was not even able to retain his parliamentary seat.

At its last cabinet meeting, the former government nominated Rupel as Slovenia’s new ambassador to Austria, but President Danilo Tirk overturned this decision.

Much to the dismay of the Slovenian public, as shown by recent opinion polls, Pahor named Rupel as one of his foreign advisers without the party’s knowledge.

The Facebook petition opposes Pahor’s decision and calls on Rupel to withdraw from political life.

“We want to organize a widespread campaign to force Rupel to quit his position. After all of the damage he has caused over the last 20 years, after losing in the last elections, after the lack of trust shown in him by the president, we think that it his high time for him to retire,” the initiators of the petition state.

They add that they want to close “this dark period, which is why Rupel must leave Slovenian diplomacy altogether.”

The initiators want a referendum to be held to pass a law for Rupel’s retirement.

“Rupel was one of the leading proponents of Bush’s policies, he supported the bloody war against terrorism, helped spread NATO’s influence and tarnished Slovenia’s position in the world,” the initiative states.

The Slovenian public also responded negatively to pictures taken recently of Rupel going shopping during work hours, while Pahor was away on a official visit. Rupel traveled to the store, 300 meters from his office, in a government vehicle accompanied by a chauffeur and security official.