Ljubljana - Lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar officially joined the presidential race on Wednesday by submitting more than 5,000 voter signatures. She stressed she was joining the race without the burden of party membership, past or present, and with more than 25 years of experience in the fight for human rights, and the rule of law.

"I have never been quiet when it was necessary to speak up, especially not in the last two years. After the last Janez Janša government took over I spoke out, because the rule of law was falling apart before our very eyes," she said, announcing she would continue to strive for the same values and principles.

The key priorities of her election programme will be finding solutions in four areas she finds crucial for development and social cohesion. These are the health and pension reforms, climate neutrality and security.

She would like good policies and projects to be encouraged regardless of who is in power.

Pirc Musar's presidential bid has been backed by the non-parliamentary Pirate Party and the SMS Greens party "without any conditions, merely and exclusively because we believe in the same values".

She said she had not talked about potential support with the senior coalition Freedom Movement, which decided last week it would conduct talks with all independent candidates before deciding whom to back.

Rumour has it that talks are under way about the party's support to MEP Milan Brglez, Pirc Musar said, adding she was looking forward to his joining the campaign. "If he becomes an independent candidate for a month, so be it, but I really hope the election campaign will be peaceful, without throwing spanners in the works".

Several candidates have officially joined the race, and media already report of scandals.

Surgeon Erik Brecelj recently accused Pirc Musar of sending him threatening letters when he was warning of crime and corruption in Slovenian healthcare.

Pirc Musar said today this was an issue that was more than two years old and that Brecelj obviously did not understand a lawyer's job. "I act by the mandate of the client, on their behalf and at their expenses," she stressed, adding she had advised her client against suing Brecelj at the time.