caption predecessor successor death_date birth_place death_place imagesize party office birth_date image article_title name
jože pučnik in the late 1990s france tomšič janez janša 11 january 2003 Črešnjevec , slovenska bistrica , kingdom of yugoslavia germany 190px democratic slovenia opposition of slovenia , social democratic party of president of the social democratic party of slovenia 9 march 1932 joze pucnik.jpg jože pučnik
 jože pučnik
jože pučnik

jože pučnik -lrb- 9 march 1932 -- 11 january 2003 -rrb- was a slovenian public intellectual , sociologist and politician .
during the communist regime of josip broz tito , pučnik was one of the most outspoken slovenian critics of dictatorship and lack of civil liberties in yugoslavia .
he was imprisoned for a total of seven years , and later forced into exile .
after returning to slovenia in the late 1980s , he became the leader of the democratic opposition of slovenia , a platform of democratic parties that defeated the communists in the first free elections in 1990 and introduced a democratic system and market economy to slovenia .
he is also considered one of the fathers of slovenian independence from yugoslavia .
