Right Tipped to Win Croatian Presidential Run-off

Croatian political experts said the results of Sunday's first round of presidential elections in were predictable and in line with surveys conducted before the election.

"What happened was what we expected and what I predicted," political analyst Zarko Puhovski told BIRN on Monday.

The top two contenders, former Social Democrat prime minister Zoran Milanovic and incumbent President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, are going into the run-off on January 5.

Milanovic is in a narrow lead after winning 29.55 per cent of votes cast. The centre-right President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, came second on 26.65 per cent.

Miroslav Skoro, a right-wing independent and folk singer and former MP, came third on 24.45 per cent.

Puhovski said Kitarovic had the best chance of winning the second round, as she would pick up most of the votes that went in the first round to her right-wing rival.

He said about one-third of Skoro's voters would likely not vote at all in the second round, while the remaining two-thirds would back Grabar-Kitarovic, who is supported by ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ.

"Overall, he [Milanovic] has weaker support in society," he said, noting that the right-wing electorate, which includes voters for Grabar-Kitarovic, Skoro and other, smaller, right-wing actors, was larger than the left by a ratio of about 6 to 4.

The Prime Minister and head of the HDZ, Andrej Plenkovic, said he was sure that the vast majority of those who voted in the first round for Skoro would back Grabar-Kitarovic in the run-off.

Both Milanovic and Grabar-Kitarovic celebrated their results on Sunday night at their election headquarters, announcing a fierce fight. But Skoro, despite his defeat, announced new struggles on the...