ZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) - Stipe Mesic is the new Croatian President, according to first preliminary results announced by the Croatian National Electoral Commission shortly after Monday midnight.
ZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) - Stipe Mesic is the new Croatian President,
according to first preliminary results announced by the Croatian
National Electoral Commission shortly after Monday midnight.#L#
Mesic, the candidate of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) who was
also supported by another three parties (HSS, LS, IDS) that make up,
along with the HNS, the four party block, defeated his rival Drazen
Budisa, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party/Croatian
Social Liberal Party (SDP/HSLS) coalition in Monday's presidential
run-off ballot.
In the second round of the election, Mesic mustered 56.21 percent of
the vote and Budisa won 43.79 percent, according to early returns
from 99.36 percent processed polls out of a total 7,036 polling
stations, the Commission stated.
According to those data, 1,430,907 Croatians voted for Mesic, who
is to hold the five-year term of office. The other contestant Drazen
Budisa mustered 1,114,549 ballots.
Mesic was in the lead in 17 counties and in Zagreb whereas the
SDP/HSLS candidate won the election in four counties.
According to the Commission, the turnout at this voting was 61.48
percent.
Mesic is the second Croatian President since the country won
independence in 1991 and will succeed the first Croatian President,
Franjo Tudjman, who won the election twice in 1992 and 1997. Tudjman
died on 10 December 1999, two and a half years before the expiry of
his tenure.
(hina) ms