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Slovenian Environment Minister Karel Erjavec resigned Tuesday during a parliamentary debate called by Prime Minister Borut Pahor to dismiss him from his position.

Pahor, the leader of the centre-left senior coalition partner Social Democrats, asked parliament to dismiss Erjavec after the country's Court of Audit blamed him for the failure of the environment ministry to secure an efficient waste management system as requested by the law.

Erjavec resigned after most coalition parties said they would support his dismissal. Erjavec heads a junior coalition partner, pensioners' party Desus, but the ruling coalition is expected to remain intact despite his resignation.

Parliament is expected to confirm a new environment minister, who is due to be nominated by Desus, in February.

In the previous centre-right government, Erjavec headed the defence ministry that signed a 278-million-euro (391-million-dollar) contract with Finnish defence firm Patria which is currently undergoing a bribery investigation in Finland.

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