ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - Elections for the Croatian parliament in countries which are home to the Croatian diaspora will be organised on 22 and 23 November, and due to time differences the first polling stations will be opened as early
as Friday in Canberra.
ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - Elections for the Croatian parliament in
countries which are home to the Croatian diaspora will be organised
on 22 and 23 November, and due to time differences the first polling
stations will be opened as early as Friday in Canberra. #L#
Almost 400,000 Croatian citizens without permanent residence in
Croatia will be able to participate in out-of-country voting, which
will be organised in 40 countries, and vote for 23 nominated slates
in constituency no. 11.
They will cast their votes at 155 polling stations, which will be
opened mostly in Croatian embassies and consulates. Compared to the
parliamentary elections of 2000, the number of polling stations was
increased only in Serbia and Montenegro, with two polling stations
opened in consulates in Belgrade, Subotica and Kotor each.
The number of voters without permanent residence in Croatia
registered in the central voter register rose to 399,849, compared
to previous elections.
Twenty-three slates, including four independent slates and two
Serb minority slates, the latter being nominated for the first
time, will be competing in constituency no. 11.
According to the non-fixed quota, the number of elected deputies in
the constituency will depend on the number of valid ballots, i.e.
the number of voters taking part in the elections for diaspora
deputies, and the average number of votes required to win a
parliamentary seat in ten constituencies.
Most voters without permanent residence in Croatia live in Bosnia-
Herzegovina - almost 300,000, followed by Germany with 33,159 and
Serbia and Montenegro with 22,575 voters.
The first preliminary election results for the diaspora will be
known on Sunday, November 23, after 11 pm.
According to data from the State Electoral Commission from 2000, of
a total of 360,110 registered voters in the diaspora constituency,
17.35 percent or 127,047 took part in the vote.
Most votes, or 86 percent, was won by the HDZ, and six of its
representatives entered the parliament as diaspora deputies. More
than 70 percent of the electorate in the constituency, who took part
in the 2000 elections, was from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Competing were
19 slates, and only one was independent.
(hina) rml sb