MILETIC: FINAL ELECTION RESULTS BY EXPIRY OF PROTECTION DEADLINES

ZAGREB, Feb 7 (Hina) - First unofficial results of the second round of presidential elections, with Stjepan Mesic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and Drazen Budisa of the Croatian Social Liberal Party/Social Democratic Party (HSLS/SDP) bloc running for the post, will be known at midnight on Monday. Final official results will be known after the expiry of deadlines for the protection of electoral rights. A deputy to the head of the National Electoral Commission, Jakob Miletic, could not specify the date when the election results would be announced. We hope, he said, that the Commission will have complete official results at noon on Tuesday already. Once the results are announced, deadlines for the protection of electoral rights start expiring - 48 hours for objections, another 48 hours for the Commission to decide about the objections, 48 hours for submitting complaints to the Constitutional Court and another 48 hours for the Constitutional Court to rule on the complaints. However, should there be irregularities due to which elections would have to be repeated, this would prolong the announcement of final official results. Miletic confirmed that February 18 was a realistic deadline for the new president to take oath. This is a realistic deadline, because even in case the voting is repeated at some polling stations, election results will certainly become final by February 18, he said. (hina) rml