None of the incumbent mayors in Croatia's four largest cities, who were running for another term in office in local elections on Sunday, won an outright majority, according to exit polls broadcast by national television stations at the the closure of polling stations in Croatia.
Zagreb will see a runoff between the incumbent mayor, Milan Bandic, with 44.19% of the vote, and his rival from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Rajko Ostojic, with 25.01, who is also supported by the HNS, HSU and some other parties.
Split's current mayor Zeljko Kerum of the Croatian Civic Party (GS) did not manage to reach the runoff as SDP candidate Ivo Baldasar with 30.62% and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) candidate Vjekoslav Ivanisevic with 22.51% are the first two vote-getters who are going to a second round in two weeks' time. Kerum followed with 16.43%.
The mayor of Rijeka, Vojko Obersnel of SDP seems close to 50% of the vote, as he mustered 48.92% according to the exit polls, and his rival HDZ official Hrvoje Buric followed with 16.03%.
In the eastern city of Osijek the current mayor, Kresimir Bubalo of the Croatian Democratic Party of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB), who won 36.11% and independent candidate Ivica Vrkic with 28.69% will face off in the run-off in two weeks' time.
The results of the exit polls, carried out at 200 polling stations in the four cities by 5.30 pm, were announced by the national HTV broadcaster and two commercial television networks NOVA TV and RTL after the close of the polling stations at 7 pm.
