Former Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek Dies

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia – The office of former Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek says he has died after fighting cancer for years.

Drnovsek was a popular politician who helped lead his country to independence in 1991. He was 57.

Drnovsek was the ex-Yugoslav country's premier from 1992-2002, when he was elected president. He did not run for a second term and was replaced by Danilo Turk in December. Drnovsek had a cancerous kidney removed in 1999 and acknowledged later that the disease had spread to his lungs.