The leadership of the SMC local committee says the latest development is a political maneuver aimed at discrediting the party ahead of the elections. It adds that the members who quit the party were disappointed because they were not included in the list of candidates.

The 41 members of the SMC Party, from Maribor and its surroundings, wrote that their decision to quit was due to serious violations of the party's rule book and statute. The list of candidates for Maribor city council was allegedly put together without the knowledge of all party members, who were thus excluded from the decision-making process. The members who quit the party accuse the leadership of SMC's local committee of putting together the list of candidates on the basis of personal interests and friendships. The response of the party's local committee is: All party members have the opportunity to take part in our activities. We can't comment on any violations, and we haven't received any comments or complaints.

Accusations are also flying in the direction of independent city councilor Marjana Kreitner, who also decided to quit the party and was formerly a member of the LDS Party. She says she quit because the party membership wasn't informed about the visit of the party's president to Maribor.

MMC, Translated by K. J.