The Slovenian media on Monday said the results of Croatia's presidential elections were no surprise, adding that they saw Social Democrat candidate Ivo Josipovic as the winner in the January 10 runoff, given that he won a much higher percentage of votes than independent candidate Milan Bandic in the first election round.
Sunday's results indicate that Josipovic will almost definitely be the newpresident, said Ljubljana-based Delo daily.
If Josipovic wins the election, the executive authority, led by the CroatianDemocratic Union, will have to establish relations with a new "stable andlaw abiding" president whose future ruling style is entirely unknown, asopposed to "influential, strong and predictable" (outgoing president)Stjepan Mesic, Delo said.
It is no secret that in the past two years of Mesic's term there was nochemistry between him and Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk, the daily saidadding that Mesic had this chemistry with the late Slovenian president JanezDrnovsek.
The daily said Josipovic could change that, as the two shared similarcharacteristics and political affiliations, although Josipovic declined in theharshest terms to vote for the arbitration agreement in the CroatianParliament. The daily however said Josipovic's decision not to back theagreement was premeditated as he wanted to secure more votes.
The Slovenian media also reported on a low turnout.
Ljubljana-based Dnevnik daily also sees the law professor and composerJosipovic as the victor in the runoff, rather than influential Zagreb mayorMilan Bandic, whom the daily described as "populist involved in a numberof scandals".
The daily, however, stressed this did not mean that Bandic had no chance ofwinning in the runoff.
