ZAGREB, Jan 2 (Hina) - Sunday, January 2, is a media blackout day in Croatia, which will last today and the whole day tomorrow. On Monday, January 3, Croatian citizens will go to the polls to elect deputies to the Croatian National
Sabor's House of Representatives. Croatian citizens without permanent residence in Croatia will go to the polls today and tomorrow. About 4,000 candidates are running for some 150 seats in the House of Representatives. The electorate is made up of a total of 4,177,495 voters. Of that number, 3,827,123 have residence in Croatia and will be able to cast ballots at 6,502 polling stations. A total of 350,372 Diaspora voters will elect their representatives as well. Out-of-country voting has been approved by 47 countries, which have opened 152 polling stations. During the media blackout, from Sunday to midnight January 3, all promotional activities, the announcing of estimates on election results o
ZAGREB, Jan 2 (Hina) - Sunday, January 2, is a media blackout day in
Croatia, which will last today and the whole day tomorrow.
On Monday, January 3, Croatian citizens will go to the polls to
elect deputies to the Croatian National Sabor's House of
Representatives. Croatian citizens without permanent residence in
Croatia will go to the polls today and tomorrow.
About 4,000 candidates are running for some 150 seats in the House
of Representatives. The electorate is made up of a total of
4,177,495 voters. Of that number, 3,827,123 have residence in
Croatia and will be able to cast ballots at 6,502 polling stations.
A total of 350,372 Diaspora voters will elect their representatives
as well. Out-of-country voting has been approved by 47 countries,
which have opened 152 polling stations.
During the media blackout, from Sunday to midnight January 3, all
promotional activities, the announcing of estimates on election
results or of early, unofficial results, as well as the publishing
of photos, statements and interviews with the bearers of electoral
lists, are forbidden.
The beginning of the media blackout marks the end of what is
believed to be the shortest election campaign in Croatia so far.
In the past 18 days, which due to Christmas and New Year holidays
were reduced to 15 days, Croatian citizens could hear the messages
of 35 parties, 15 coalitions and 20 independent lists, as well as of
30 minority candidates.
The new composition of the House of Representatives will in the
upcoming elections be elected with proportionate representation
for the first time. In order to participate in the division of
seats, electoral lists have to pass the threshold of five per cent.
The mandates will be allocated in line with the D'Hondt method.
A total of 140 representatives will be elected in ten
constituencies in Croatia, each constituency electing 14
deputies.
The Diaspora will elect its representatives to the Croatian
National Sabor today and tomorrow in a separate, 11th constituency.
However, the number of Diaspora deputies will be determined by the
so-called non-fixed quota, that is, their number will depend on the
average number of votes needed for one parliamentary seat in
Croatia.
In another separate, 12th constituency, which is made up of the
whole of Croatia, members of autochtonous minorities (324,238)
will elect five deputies to the Sabor.
The three most numerous minorities - Serbs (251,366), Hungarians
(36,284), and Italians (17,995) will have one deputy each in the
Sabor.
Members of the Czech and Slovak minorities, Austrians, Germans,
Ruthanians, Ukrainians and Jews will elect one joint
representative. According to the Electoral Law, minorities will
elect their representatives individually so that the candidate who
wins most votes will be elected deputy.
In case they do not wish to elect their representatives in the
separate constituency, the minorities will be able to participate
in the elections on the basis of lists in other constituencies.
The election will be implemented by 66,520 voters' committees and
will be supervised by about 1,000 foreign and 5,869 monitors. It is
expected that the election will be covered by some 300 domestic and
foreign reporters, which is twice the number of journalists
following the last parliamentary election.
The first incomplete and unofficial election results will be
announced by the National Electoral Commission at 00.30 on January
4.
(hina) rml