Independence Day Celebrated by MPs and Other Dignitaries
Independence and Unity Day, celebrated on 26 December, was marked at a special session of the National Assembly followed by the central national ceremony, held in the Cankarjev dom congress venue.
The parliament staged its ceremony in the evening with Deputy Speaker Saso Pece delivering the keynote address. In his speech he reminded the MPs of their responsibility.
"Our task is to constantly uphold the trust of the people in parliament and to explain our decisions to the electorate, especially when they do not reflect the desire of the population," he added.
According to Pece, Slovenia needs to take prudent decisions to promote its development and thus secure a better future.
No individual should be overlooked, he warned and called for a society that would guarantee citizen rights, development and provide social safety and security for all.
"We have to bear in mind that our decisions in pursuit of those goals are ours alone to take...we have to take care of ourselves. Nobody else will. This is the price we have to pay for independence and unity," he concluded.
Following the special session of the parliament, the main national ceremony took place in Cankarjev dom, with Speaker France Cukjati as the speaker of honour.
In his speech, Cukjati stressed the unity that the nation experienced 15 years ago was what Slovenia's greatest poet France Preseren had in mind when he wrote in the mid 19th century that unity, happiness and reconciliation should return to the land.
In 1991 all people and all political parties jointly resisted a common enemy, and none took the opportunity to undemocratically usurp the power, Cukjati said.
And that is what makes remembering and celebrating the unity that existed 15 years ago so worthwhile, he stressed, saying that this was completely different to what had happened in 1941.
"In 1941 the nation was fatefully divided, in 1991 we remained united. In 1941 brother was pithed against brother, in 1991 our unity made us invincible and gave us an elegant victory," he explained.
According to Cukjati, another test of unity awaits Slovenia in the coming year. The country will have to find a new balance between a market economy and a welfare state. "If we do not make a step forward, our economy as well as our welfare state will surely suffer," he warned.
The ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Janez Jansa, President Janez Drnovsek, lawmakers, ministers and other dignitaries celebrated 15 years since the results of a referendum on independence were published in Ljubljana.
The official results of the 23 December referendum, where 95% of ballots were in favour came three days later, with 26 December becoming Independence Day.
Following the referendum decision, the assembly unanimously passed on 25 June 1991 the Basic Constitutional Charter on the Sovereignty and Independence of the Republic of Slovenia, whereby declaring Slovenia independent.
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