ZAGREB, Jan 3 (Hina) - Almost one quarter of voters in Croatia went to the polls by 11.00 am Monday to elect the Sabor House of Representatives, the Croatian National Electoral Commission's head, Marijan Ramuscak, told reporters on
Monday afternoon.
ZAGREB, Jan 3 (Hina) - Almost one quarter of voters in Croatia went
to the polls by 11.00 am Monday to elect the Sabor House of
Representatives, the Croatian National Electoral Commission's
head, Marijan Ramuscak, told reporters on Monday afternoon.#L#
Thus Ramuscak confirmed data which reporters had received before
but for which the Commission later said that they differed.
According to data obtained from 4,412 out of 6,503 polling stations
618,812 voters cast their ballots or it was 24.05 percent.
The largest turnout was registered at the seventh constituency
where 27.98 percent of voters from rolls went to the polls. The
poorest turnout was in the ninth electoral unit where 20.67 percent
of voters cast their ballots by 11.00 am Monday.
The Commission received no complaint about any irregularity in the
process of voting.
There was an objection that a presidential candidate was trying to
collect signature for his candidacy for the presidential poll
(scheduled for January 24) at a polling station.
The Electoral Commission did not allow such conduct as signatures
must not be gathered at a polling station or in its vicinity,
Ramuscak explained.
He quoted the Interior Ministry as saying that there was no need for
policemen to intervene so far.
Asked how that journalists received two different reports in a
short period on the turnout of voters, Ramuscak explained that it
was connecting with the data processing. During the counting of the
percentage, the number of voters who have gone to the polls was
compared to the entire electorate instead comparing it with the
number of voters at rolls at the polling stations which sent data by
11.00 am today.
First results of the voting have been forwarded from New Zealand and
Australia is expected soon to send a report. Croatian expatriates
can vote on two days (January 2 and 3), and the polling stations
opened in New Zealand from 07.00 am to 07.00 pm Sunday and Monday
local time were already closed because of the time difference.
A delegation of OSCE monitors visited the National Electoral
Commission previously on Monday. OSCE officials wanted to be
acquainted with figures about eligible voters, polling stations
and other related data.
A new report on the turnout of voters in Croatia will be released by
the Electoral Commission at 05.30 pm Monday.
(hina) ms