"I call on all voters in the country and abroad to vote for a fairerand better and more just Croatia, and to choose the light and not thedarkness," Josipovic said at his election team's headquarters, interruptedby cheers of SDP members and officials.

He said that returns from polling stations showed that justice had won andthat voters had opted for the law and justice against lawlessness andcorruption.

"Croatia has had an opportunity today to choose between justice andinjustice, between law and lawlessness, equal opportunities for everybody andthe privileged class that took over the economic and political power. Croatiahas chosen the light, and I am sure that it will choose the light on 10January," Josipovic said.

He thanked all people who went to the polls and particularly those who votedfor him.

Josipovic said that he did not intend to change his strategy in the campaignahead of the second round of the vote in which he would face Bandic, who wasexpelled from the SDP when he decided to run in the national presidentialelections, although Josipovic won the SDP primaries.

"I will not change the strategy which is victorious. I am particularlyproud of my result in Zagreb. Zagreb, thank you," Josipovic said.According to preliminary results, he won twice as many votes as Bandic, thecurrent mayor of the Croatian capital.

In response to reporters' questions whether he considered the runoff to havebeen already won, Josipovic said that he would continue to be responsible inthe second round of the election and that he would try to convince voters fromthe left, from the right and from the centre of "the new justice".