The State Electoral Commission (DIP) reported on Sunday midnight that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Ivo Josipovic and independent candidate Milan Bandic came in first and second in the first round of the Croatian presidential elections on Sunday.
Ivo Josipovic mustered 32.44 percent of votes cast, and Milan Bandic 14.84percent, according to the preliminary results released by the DIP.
Josipovic, however, was short of the 50-per-cent mark necessary for a win inthe first round of the elections, and therefore he and Bandic, as the two firsttop-getters, will compete in the run-off on 10 January.
Andrija Hebrang of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) came in thirdwinning 12.01 percent. He is followed by independent candidate Nadan Vidosevic,with 11.33 per cent.
A total of 1,972,693 voters went to the polls, or 44.07 percent of slightlyless than 4.5 million Croatians who could vote for the third Croatian presidentfor a five-year term in office.
There were 98.94 percent of valid ballots.
