Miksic's election team issued a statement on Tuesday evening, saying that "a media and information blockade" of Miksic was becoming more obvious with the day of presidential elections approaching and that Miksic therefore "has no other way out but to withdraw from the forthcoming presidential race".
As an evident example of the unequal treatment of presidential candidates by the media, the statement cited a recent gathering at Zagreb's Hotel Opera, which was attended by more than 500 of Miksic's sympathisers.
"Although Miksic's Office had announced the event, it received very poor media coverage despite the fact that Miksic had invested significant funds into that gathering just as he has into the preparations for the forthcoming presidential elections," the statement said.
"At the same time, other presidential candidates who are financed from the national budget are present in the media all the time," it added.
The statement concluded by saying that "Croatia is not yet ready for change and for an independent candidate for head of state whose only interest is the well-being of all Croatian citizens and Croats abroad."