Conservatives Poised to Win Croatia Elections

Center-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has a lead on center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP), the first results of a snap parliamentary vote show.

Croatia held on Sunday its second election in ten months, with initial figures not substantially differing from the ones of the November 08 vote. The previous government had only been in office for five months before collapsing in June after a conflict of interest scandal.

Turnout was 52.38%, 8 percent down from the previous vote, according to the country's public broadcaster, HRT.

The HDZ is tipped to get 61 seats in Croatia's 151-seat Parliament, while its mail rival will win 54 seats. HDZ will still fall short of an independent majority and the ability to form a government on its own if results are confirmed.

MOST, a center-right coalition, has come third with 13 seats, followed by an alliance gathered around the anti-establishment party Living Wall (8 seats).

The Istrian Democratic Assembly is to have three seats, a coalition around Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić has won two seats, and support for right-wing Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) translates into one seat.

Eleven of the seats are allocated to national minorities and three to Bosnian Croats and the diaspora.

Final results are not expected until later on Monday or Tuesday.