"One should be held to account for this state of affairs. For years, the administration and interior ministries, namely the government, haven't sat down to solve this very important issue," GONG director Dragan Zelic said after a State Election Commission press conference.

"It would be good to hear now, a few days before the (parliamentary) election, what those in charge have to say as to why they haven't solved this issue," he said.

GONG's legal advisor Vanja Skoric, too, asked that the two ministries be held accountable, saying that regardless of whether Croatia's having more voters than inhabitants indeed influenced the regularity of elections, this created a poor impression and perception in public.

"The impression is that the number of voters is unrealistic, which disturbs us all as citizens," said Skoric.

She called for adopting, immediately after the December 4 election, a new law on permanent residence and for finally updating information on citizens' permanent residence and the corresponding voter lists.

Skoric said it was not good that two companies were keeping voter lists because of the cost, adding that a single database should be set up and linked with information relevant for up-to-date voter lists, including on permanent residence and land books.

Reporters asked how GONG interpreted the fact that the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) did not include in its electoral promotion report information on the money spent before the election campaign officially began.

Zelic said GONG and the State Election Commission had warned before the official start of the campaign about the importance that all those running in the polls, notably political parties, reported all campaign costs.

"The HDZ didn't comply with that, stating in its official report only information for the official campaign," he added.