BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3528

HR-ELECTIONS-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3528 BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3528HINA Zagreb 8 February 2000RAMUSCAK: WITH 56% OF VOTE MESIC CROATIA'S NEW PRESIDENTZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) - According to results gathered from all polling stations in Croatia and abroad, presidential candidate Stjepan Mesic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) won 1,433,299 votes or 56 percent, whereas his rival Drazen Budisa of the Croatian Social Liberal Party/Social Democratic Party (HSLS/SDP) bloc won 1,125,957 votes or 44 percent in the second round of the presidential elections, the head of the National Electoral Commission, Marijan Ramuscak, told reporters at noon on Tuesday. A total of 60.88 percent of the electorate went to the polls, which is five per cent less than in the first round and ten percent less than at the January 3 parliamentary election. A total of 17.79 percent of registered voters went to the polls outside of Croatia. Most of them, 77.44 percent, voted for Budisa,