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Groton Daily Independent
Saturday, Nov. 114, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 125 ~ 61 of 66
Al-Baghdadi’s whereabouts are unknown but he is believed to be in IS’ dwindling territory in eastern Syria. Opposition activists say he is also likely somewhere in the wide desert that stretches toward Iraq.
Slovenia’s president faces former actor in runoff vote By JOVANA GEC, Associated Press
BLED, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia is holding a runoff presidential election on Sunday that is pitting Presi- dent Borut Pahor against challenger Marjan Sarec, a former actor who is the mayor of the northern town of Kamnik.
Pahor, a veteran politician, has been favored to win after leading the vote by a large margin in the rst round of balloting on Oct. 22. But analysts say it could be a tight race: Sarec has already surprised Pahor by forcing a runoff, and has narrowed the gap since the rst round.
Below is some background on the race being decided in nature-loving Slovenia, the home country of U.S. rst lady Melania Trump:
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A PRESIDENT WHO IS ‘KING OF INSTAGRAM’
A former fashion model, Pahor has been in politics for decades, holding a number of public positions. He was Slovenia’s prime minister before he took of ce as president in December 2012.
Pahor, who turned 54 earlier this month, has sought to portray himself as a president of all Slovenians,
regardless of their political preferences. Critics say, however, that Pahor is simply avoiding taking a stand on important issues. He has been nicknamed Slovenia’s “King of Instagram” for his frequent presence on social media.
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THE COMPETITION
Pahor’s opponent, Marjan Sarec, is an ambitious opponent who has won support from many Slovenians
fed up with the political elite in the small EU state.
Sarec was a well-known satirical comedian who imitated politicians before entering politics himself in
2010 to run for mayor of Kamnik. Sarec won against an established candidate and gave up acting so he could fully commit to the job. The 39-year-old is currently serving his second term as mayor.
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WHAT OPINION SURVEYS SAY
Pre-election surveys have suggested that Pahor could win some 56 percent of the votes, and Sarec
around 44. Pahor nished rst among nine candidates in the rst round of voting in October with 47 per- cent — not enough to avoid a runoff — while Sarec had 25 percent.
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WHY THE VOTE MATTERS
Slovenia’s presidency holds no executive powers. However, the president proposes the prime minister
who runs the government and the of ce-holder’s opinions carry weight on important issues.
Key topics facing Slovenia include the economy, a border dispute with neighboring Croatia stemming from the 1990s’ breakup of the former Yugoslavia, the future of the European Union, the large numbers
of migrants and refugees who have reached Europe or are attempting to. ___
ELECTION DAY
Slovenia, which has a population of around 2 million, has about 1.7 million voters. Polling places are set to open Sunday at 0600 GMT (1 a.m.) and close 12 hours later. Initial results are expected a few hours after the polls close.
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Ali Zerdin contributed from Ljubljana, Slovenia.