POLLING STATIONS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN CROATIA CLOSED

ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - Polling stations for presidential elections which took place Monday were closed at 7pm. Voters who happened to be inside the polling stations after 7pm will have the chance to vote, although the stations have been closed. At 6,477 regular polling stations in Croatia and 141 polling stations abroad, Croatian citizens voted for Croatia's second president. Nine candidates ran in the elections -- Drazen Budisa for the Social Democratic Party - Croatian Social Liberal Party coalition, Anto Djapic for the Croatian Party of Rights, Mate Granic for the Croatian Democratic Union, Tomislav Mercep for the Croatian Popular Party, Stipe Mesic for the Croatian People's Party, Ante Prkacin for the New Croatia party and independent candidates Ante Ledic, Slaven Letica and Zvonimir Separovic. A candidate who receives the majority of the total votes will be elected president. In case none of the candidates gain more than 50 per cent of the vote in the first round of elections, Croatian citizens will cast their ballots again in two weeks. In the second round of elections, which would be held on February 7, voters will vote for one of the two candidates who won the most votes in the first round of the elections. (hina) lml