Ljubljana - Economist Jože P. Damijan, the author of the idea for the Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL), has been joined by a group of more than two dozen former officials as well as businessmen, scientists and other professionals in launching a centre-left development agenda that they plan to realise in collaboration with existing political players.

The group allows for the possibility of "strengthening existing parties" with staff and ideas, or forging pre-election alliances with them and contest the 24 April general election together, Damijan told the STA.

Damijan has already held talks with representatives of the Left, the Social Democrats (SD) and the Freedom Movement.

Labelled the Democratic Alternative, the group brings together experts from all walks of life who "want to live in a normal society with development potential, a prosperous society of equal opportunities."

Damijan sees the four centre-left parties that form KUL - the Left, SD, SAB and LMŠ - as natural allies but says they are not the only ones. "However, we do not want to further fragment the political space, we want to strengthen it."

The programme runs the gamut of policies, from housing and healthcare to technology, governance and elderly care.

Some of the notable proposals include a national 30-year programme of investments in transport and social infrastructure, incentives for profit-sharing with workers, and the creation of a new national airline.

The authors include former minister in centre-left governments Dušan Keber, Gregor Golobič, Majda Širca and Samuel Žbogar, businessmen Andraž Tori and Boštjan Špetič, and academicians Jadran Lenarčič, Igor Papič and Jana Kolar.