Croatian presidential election goes to run-off
A Social Democrat and Zagreb’s mayor will go head-to-head in the race to become Croatia’s president.
After nearly all votes were counted from yesterday’s election, the state-run Electoral Commission said left-wing opposition member Ivo Josipovic received 32.4% of votes and Zagreb’s popular mayor Milan Bandic 14.8%.
Since neither reached the 50% support required for outright victory, they will now face each other in a January 10 run-off.
The failure of the ruling conservative party member to get to the run-off signals Croatians’ growing dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of economic decline and high-level corruption.
Both candidates are considered pro-Western who will probably support the ex-Yugoslav country's efforts to win entry into the European Union, possibly in 2011 or 2012.
Mr Josipovic, a professor of international law at the Zagreb Law Faculty and an MP since 2003, has a largely untainted CV, but even his supporters acknowledge that he suffers from a lack of charisma.
Speaking after the vote, Mr Josipovic, 52, said Croats “had a chance today to choose between justice and injustice, between law and lawlessness, between light and darkness”.
“They obviously have chosen light and I’m sure it will be the same on January 10,” he added.
Mr Bandic, 54, Zagreb’s mayor since 2000, remains popular despite allegations of political cronyism. He was kicked out of the Social Democrats when he decided to oppose Mr Josipovic in the presidential election.
Following yesterday’s vote Mr Bandic said the result showed that Croatia “needs a different president, who won’t be affected by any party’s policies”.
Mr Bandic’s views are often hard to pin down, shifting across the political spectrum.
He allowed a nationalist singer to perform at the main square, dismaying many Zagreb residents, but has also supported gay parades, unnerving conservatives.
He also has a more chequered past than his staid rival. In 2002, he fled police after being caught drink-driving.
Local media claims he regularly fixes bids for city work projects, funnelling to his aides and overpaying them. Mr Bandic denies the charges, pointing out there has been no formal investigation launched against him.
The country of 4.5 million joined Nato in April and hopes to enter the EU soon.
Voters’ main concerns during the campaign were economic recovery and fighting widespread corruption – also a key condition for joining the EU.
Twelve candidates ran to replace popular president Stipe Mesic, who helped discourage the nationalism promoted by his predecessor in the 1990s and encouraged a shift to the West.
The turnout was about 44%.
