42.52% OF VOTERS TURNED OUT FOR ELECTIONS BY 4 P.M. - ELECTION COMMISSION

COMMISSION ZAGREB, 15 June (Hina) - According to returns from 5,337 polling places in Croatia, 42.52% of the electorate turned out for Sunday's presidential elections, the head of the Election Commission Ivan Mrkonjic told a press conference this afternoon. Out of a total of 3.003,374 voters registered in the 5,337 polling stations, 1.277,002 voters cast their ballots by 4 p.m., Mrkonjic said. The highest turnout was reported in Pozega County (51,38%), Zagreb County (50,09%), Bjelovar County (49,73) and Osijek-Baranja County (49,27%). The turnout at today's elections was very good, Mrkonjic said, adding he hoped it would be higher than 60%. Reports about the behaviour of representatives of the non- government organisation GONG (Organised Monitoring of Elections by Citizens) in Zagreb and Rijeka could not be qualified as an incident. The organisation, Mrkonjic said, wanted to monitor the elections although they did not have the right to. After a brief conversation, the GONG members left the polling stations peacefully, he added. The next press conference on temporary and unofficial results of the presidential elections will be held tonight, a half an hour after midnight. Some 120 accredited reporters, half of them from foreign countries, covered today's presidential elections in Croatia. (hina) rm 152029 MET jun 97