CANDIDACIES FOR ELECTION MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MIDNIGHT MONDAY

ZAGREB, Nov 2 (Hina) - Candidacies for Croatia's parliamentary elections, called for November 23, must be submitted to the National Election Commission (DIP) by midnight November 3. #L# Within 48 hours of said deadline, the DIP will accept and publish in all daily media all properly submitted slates for every constituency as well as candidates for the constituency electing representatives of ethnic minorities. The election campaign begins on the day of publication of slates and ends on Friday, November 21, at midnight, when electoral blackout begins. The blackout ends on Sunday at 1900 hours, when the polls close. The polls open at seven in the morning, but a day earlier at diplomatic and consular missions. The first unofficial results of the ballot will be made known two to three hours after the polls have closed. Parliament must hold the constituent session within 20 days of the publication of the official election results which, according to DIP chairman Ivica Crnic, will occur when appeals deadlines have passed and the DIP has received election material from even the farthest place in the world. Croatians will vote from party or independent slates, which list 14 candidates and their stand-ins. The right to distribute MP seats will go to parties and independent slates which pass the five percent electoral threshold. Croatia, which has a proportional electoral system, is divided into 10 constituencies in which people residing in the country vote. The 11th constituency is for Croatian citizens without residence in Croatia. Ethnic minorities vote for eight deputies in a special, 12th constituency which covers the entire country. The Croatian parliament can have a minimum 100 and a maximum 160 deputies. At the last election, in January 2000, there were 35 parties, 15 coalition and 20 independent slates, and 83 political parties, which this year number 91. (hina) ha