Political Background Until 25 June 1991, Slovenia was a constituent republic of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The first multiparty elections in Slovenia took place in the spring of 1990. On 23 December 1991, a new constitution was adopted. It created a modern democratic constitutional order and established the basis for a parliamentary system of government. The first parliamentary elections following independence took place in December 1992. The most recent presidential elections took place in November 1997. Milan Kucan was re-elected as president in the first round with more than 55 per cent of the vote. The next presidential elections are scheduled for November 2001. The most recent parliamentary elections took place in November 1996. Approximately thirty political parties fielded candidates in the elections. Following the elections, the Liberal Democrats entered into a coalition with the Slovenian People’s Party and the DeSUS Party. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Janez Drnovšek, was re-elected as prime minister.