CRO CITIZENS TO ELECTED PRESIDENT IN SECOND ROUND OF ELECTIONS

ZAGREB, Jan 25 (Hina) - The President of Croatia will be elected in the second round of the voting, February 7, when Croatian citizens are to vote either for Stipe Mesic (the candidate of Croatian People's Party, HNS) or Drazen Budisa (the candidate of the coalition of the Croatian Social Liberal Party/Social Democratic Party, HSLS/SDP). According to first incomplete unofficial preliminary results of the presidential ballot, held on January 24, Stipe Mesic mustered 41.64 percent of the vote, and the second top contestant is Drazen Budisa with 28 percent. As none of them gained necessary majority of votes (50 percent of all cast ballots), they will run in the second round of the election, scheduled for February 7. The data referred to returns from 6,805 polling stations out of a total of 7,038, which were published by the Croatian National Electoral Commission shortly after the midnight. Up to that time returns from 96,69 percent of the polling stations were processed and at them 2,611,181 voters (64.27 percent) cast their ballot, out of 4,062,723 eligible voters registered at those stations. Stipe Mesic, the HNS candidate who is supported by the other parties of the Four, namely the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), the Liberal Party (LS), and the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), came in first in 19 Croatian counties. The coalition of the HSLS/SDP candidate, Drazen Budisa, gained the majority of the vote in three counties, while the HDZ candidate, Mate Granic gained the majority of the vote only abroad. The greatest support Mesic gained in Istria county, where 61.69 percent of voters voted for him, while he received over 50 percent of the vote in another three counties; Krapina-Zagorje County (53.21 percent), Virovitica-Podravina County (52.08 percent), and Zagreb County (50.03 percent). Budisa received the greatest support in Medjimurje County where he gained 39.69 percent of the vote. Over 30 percent of the vote and the first place, Budisa won in Sibenik-Knin County (32.24 percent) and Split-Dalmatia County (31.32 percent). Nine candidates contested the January 24 presidential election. After Stipe Mesic and Drazen Budisa, the third contestant according to the number of gained ballots is Mate Granic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) with 21.69 percent. According to unofficial results from 130 of a total of 159 polling stations abroad, where 16.80 percent of registered voters cast their ballots, Mate Granic gained the majority of the vote of the Croatia Diaspora, namely 61.21 percent. He came in second in seven Croatian counties; Sibenik-Knin County, Split-Dalmatia County, Karlovac County, Lika-Senj County, Split-Dalmatia County, Pozega- Slavonija County, Slavonski Brod-Posavina County, and Dubrovnik- Neretva County. Independent candidate Slaven Letica mustered 4.17 percent of the vote. He is followed by Anto Djapic, the candidate of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) and the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) with the 1.78 percent. Another independent candidate Ante Ledic is the sixth with 0.85 percent. The candidate of Croatian Populace Party (HPS), Tomislav Mercep, won 0.85 percent. Ante Prkacin, the leader of the New Croatia (NH) party, mustered 0.28 percent, while the last was independent candidate Zvonimir Separovic with 0.25 percent. President of the National Electoral commission Marjan Ramuscak said that a report would be issued by noon Tuesday, adding, however, there would be no press conference. (hina) it