Run-off vote will decide Croatian presidency
Leftist opposition legal scholar Ivo Josipovic will face off against Zagreb's colourful Mayor Milan Bandic in Croatia's presidential run-off election, the state Electoral Commission said early Monday.
With nearly all votes counted Sunday, the commission said Josipovic had 32.4 per cent of the votes while Bandic — who ran as an independent — had 14.8 per cent.
The failure of the ruling conservative party candidate to make the run-off signals the public's growing dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the economy and charges of high-level corruption.
Twelve candidates were running to replace popular President Stipe Mesic, who helped discourage nationalism and encouraged a shift to the West. Turnout was about 44 per cent.
Both Josipovic and Bandic are considered pro-Western and both will likely support Croatia's efforts to gain entry to the European Union, possibly in 2011 or 2012. The country joined NATO in April.
Josipovic, 52, who is a professor of international law and has been a legislator since 2003, has a largely untainted resume, but even his supporters acknowledge that he lacks charisma.
Speaking after the vote, Josipovic said Croats "had a chance today to choose between justice and injustice, between law and lawlessness, between light and darkness.
Bandic, 54, who has been Zagreb's mayor since 2000, remains popular, despite allegations of political cronyism. He was kicked out of the Social Democrats when he decided to run against Josipovic for the presidency.
Bandic said the result of Sunday's vote showed that Croatia "needs a different president, who won't be affected by any party's policies."
Bandic has a more checkered past than his staid rival. In 2002, he fled police after being caught driving drunk.
With files from The Associated Press