Ljubljana - President Borut Pahor has announced he plans to call the general election for 24 April, the earliest possible date for a scheduled election. The presidential decree to that effect will be signed in February, the president's office said on Friday.

The announcement comes after Pahor's consultations with deputy groups over several forthcoming appointments in which the president is the formal proponent of the candidates, including for the Constitutional Court and Court of Audit.

The law states that scheduled elections are called by the president 135-75 days before four years have passed since the first sitting of the current parliament. The vote must be held between 60 and 90 days after the election is called.

The last general election, a snap vote, was held on 3 June 2018.

There have been mounting calls in recent weeks for a snap election from opposition and commentators due to the government's handling of the epidemic and its perceived undermining of the rule of law.

The opposition has long insisted the government must go, but with the parliament hung, it does not have the majority to force a snap election.