The replacement of Luka Koper supervisors was urged by coalition officials after Gašpar Gašpar Mišič of Positive Slovenia (PS) was appointed CEO of Luka Koper on Monday in a narrow vote that saw representatives of staff and the local community on the board side against the state as a 70% owner.

SOD proposes the dismissal of the six members of the nine-member supervisory board representing the state capital and the appointment of six SOD employees in their place.

They want to see three members of SOD management board, including chairman Tomaž Kuntarič, and three SOD employees, Dragomir Kolman, Mitja Svoljšak and Mateja Lovšin Herič, to replace the dismissed supervisors.

PS deputies held an emergency meeting today, denying responsibility for the appointment of its member Gašpar Mišič as Luka Koper chairman but backing Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek in taking measures within her power.

The PS deputy faction said it did not support candidacies and direct transition of government officials to senior positions at state-owned companies, which includes Gašpar Mišič, who resigned as state secretary at the PM's office last week.

PS deputy group Jani Möderndorfer said it was the government which represents the shareholders meeting of SOD, which is why the government was the only one in a position to "take certain decisions".

SOD boss Tomaž Kuntarič said on Tuesday that there was doubt that the appointment was conducted in a professional and responsible way. "As the owner we can exercise our rights through the shareholders. We have no other options."

According to him, the split in the supervisory board and the inability or unwillingness of chief supervisor Dino Klobas to explain the decision raises doubt that the appointment was carried out in a professional and responsible way.

Klobas and another state representative Sabina Mozetič and the three representatives of workers voted for Gašpar Mišič, while the remaining four state representatives voted against.

Meanwhile, the Association of Supervisors said today that it launched procedure against one of its members who took part in the appointment of Gašpar Mišič. The association however failed to disclose the name of the supervisor.

According to the website of Luka Koper, the biggest owner of the port operator is the state (51%, the stake is managed by SOD), SOD (11.13%), state-run KAD fund (4.98%) and the municipality of Koper (3.34%).