"I do not accept the circumstances surrounding what has happened in the last two and a half hours. I was in a convincing lead over (HDZ candidate) Jadranka Kosor at 2130 hours," Miksic told reporters after the announcement of preliminary results of Sunday's presidential polls by the State Election Commission.
"There is reason for suspicion, and if any irregularities occurred, and I think they did, I think it is a slap on the face of the Croatian people," he told reporters.
"Jadranka Kosor is a much weaker candidate against (the incumbent president Stjepan) Mesic, and I think this was a deal between Mesic and (Prime Minister Ivo) Sanader so that I would lose this race," Miksic said.
Miksic complained that his monitors were not allowed to oversee vote counting by the State Election Commission.