ZAGREB, Jan 7 (Hina) - The campaign of "Voice '99" managed to achieve its chief goal, which was an electoral turnout between 75 and 78 percent, Tin Gazivoda, the office head of the citizen coalition for free and fair elections, said
in Zagreb on Friday. Gazivoda pointed out a high electoral turnout had been a condition to express the people's will more clearly. He thanked the activists of the 148 non-governmental organisations and citizen initiatives making up "Voice '99", as well as the citizens whose voting, he said, had made them the biggest winners. According to "Voice '99", on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, the January 3 parliamentary elections had proceeded correctly. The principal objection referred to the voting of Croats in neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH). "The number of those who voted in BH, five sixths, does not correspond to actual physical possibilities," said Zarko Puhovski, c
ZAGREB, Jan 7 (Hina) - The campaign of "Voice '99" managed to
achieve its chief goal, which was an electoral turnout between 75
and 78 percent, Tin Gazivoda, the office head of the citizen
coalition for free and fair elections, said in Zagreb on Friday.
Gazivoda pointed out a high electoral turnout had been a condition
to express the people's will more clearly.
He thanked the activists of the 148 non-governmental organisations
and citizen initiatives making up "Voice '99", as well as the
citizens whose voting, he said, had made them the biggest winners.
According to "Voice '99", on the territory of the Republic of
Croatia, the January 3 parliamentary elections had proceeded
correctly. The principal objection referred to the voting of Croats
in neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH).
"The number of those who voted in BH, five sixths, does not
correspond to actual physical possibilities," said Zarko Puhovski,
chairman of the Committee for Just Elections. The Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe will additionally inspect the
electoral results, he added.
According to Puhovski, "Voice '99" was not satisfied with the work
of the National Electoral Commission which he said had still not
understood its legal function in guaranteeing correct elections.
Committee for Just Elections member Bozo Budimir commended "Voice
'99" activists for their fair and encouraging work, and for
"enduring the dirty political game in which 'Voice '99' was
labelled a spy organisation."
"Voice '99" was satisfied with the number of the young and women who
voted. Women's Ad Hoc Coalition representative Biserka Momcinovic
said her coalition's work in the pre-electoral period had
contributed to the higher number of women representatives in
parliament.
The so called green campaign was also assessed as successful.
"Voice '99" representatives today voiced hope the new government
would have more understanding for non-governmental organisations
than the last one, and that civic society would finally come to life
in Croatia.
It was also said "Voice '99" would follow the constituting of the
new government, and that it would monitor the January 24
presidential elections not as part of a campaign, but in another
form.
(hina) ha mm