CROATIAN DIASPORA GOES TO POLLS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY

ZAGREB, Jan 2 (Hina) - The Croatian Diaspora will on Sunday go to the polls to elect representatives to the Croatian National Sabor's House of Representatives for the next four years. In Croatia, Sunday is the media blackout day, and voters will go to the polls on Monday, January 3. A total of 152 polling stations will be opened in 47 countries for out-of-country voting. Today and tomorrow, a total of 350,372 voters without permanent residence in Croatia will exercise their right to vote at those polling stations. This is the second time the Diaspora is electing its representatives to the House of Representatives. Diaspora deputies were elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in the 1995 elections, when their number (12) was fixed. In the 2000 elections, the largest number of polling stations (28) will be opened in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is followed by Germany (23), Australia (21), and Austria (10). Three polling stations - in Kotor, Subotica, and Belgrade - will be opened for Croatian citizens living in Yugoslavia. The Diaspora is electing its representatives in a separate, 11th constituency, and it will be able to vote for one out of 21 party, coalition, or independent rosters. The names of those lists, together with their bearers, will be printed on apricot-coloured ballots for the Diaspora. The lists have 14 candidates each; a total of 294 candidates are running for the still undetermined number of parliamentary seats. The number of Diaspora MPs in the Sabor will be determined by the so- called non-fixed quota, which means that it will depend on the average number of votes needed for one parliamentary seat. The Electoral Law envisages that the number of Diaspora seats will be determined by dividing the total number of valid ballots in 10 constituencies by 140 (the number of MPs elected within Croatia); the number of valid ballots in the 11th constituency is then divided by this number and the result obtained is the number of Diaspora MPs in the Sabor. This number will determine the final number of MPs who in the next four years will sit in the House of Representatives. Namely, a total of 140 MPs will be elected in the 10 constituencies in Croatia, whereas another five deputies will be elected among autochtonous minorities. When to this number the number of Diaspora MPs is added, the Lower House will come close to its constitutional limit of 160 representatives. Polling stations for out-of-country voting will be opened from 7am to 7pm (local time) on Sunday and Monday, January 2 and 3. The voting abroad will last two days so that as many voters as possible could exercise their right to vote. Due to the fact that they will be able to vote only in Croatian diplomatic and consular offices, some voters will have to travel several thousand kilometres. Also, some of the 47 countries which have approved out-of-country voting, have also approved the voting of Croatian citizens from some neighbouring countries which did not approve their voting. The right to vote will be exercised by Croatian citizens from 68 countries. Croatian citizens who find themselves abroad during the election time will be able to exercise their right to vote as well. They will have to present certificates issued by a competent body of state administration as well as certificates proving their Croatian citizenship. Although voting abroad, they will be able to vote for the lists of candidates for those constituencies in which they have permanent residence. (hina) rml