Ljubljana - Musician Gregor Betenšek is the first candidate to have officially submitted his bid for the presidential election. Backed by 5,673 voters, he will stand in the election as an independent. His key priorities will be to promote political cooperation and protect vulnerable groups of population.

As he filed the candidacy at the National Electoral Commission today, he said he was happy to have managed to collect sufficient number of signatures in a relatively short time. He sees this as proof that he had come across as who he truly is, a "man without any political or ideological burdens".

Commenting on the election campaign that officially starts next week, Betenšek said he would approach it with earnestness and respect and in line with his election programme.

His key priorities will be promoting cooperation within Slovenian politics. He said recently a "true division" could be seen in the Slovenian society, which was also reflected in the situation at public broadcaster RTV Slovenija.

"Every spit from the left to the right and from the right to the left is a spit in the face of our own nation," he said.

He is confident that he will be able to overcome this as president "by joining forces, with know-how and cooperation".

He plans to pay spacial attention to vulnerable groups, especially children with rare diseases.

Asked about public opinions polls, which do not list his among the top candidates, he said he was not making any illusions about this but that he was entering the race as an independent and that voters must first get to known him.

"I hope the democratic country will show its true colours and that the media will give all the candidates a chance to present themselves to their nation," he said.

Bezenšek is a musician and a humanitarian worker. As musician he is known as SoulGreg Artist. He is known to the wider public as a co-founder of the association for children with rare disease Viljem Julijan, which he and his wife founded and named after their son who died of a rare incurable disease.