Croatia's HDZ, SDP Run Neck-and-Neck, Claim Mandate

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's Croatian Democratic Union and the opposition Social Democratic Party were running neck-and-neck after yesterday's general election, with both parties saying they can muster enough support to form a coalition.

Sanader's party, known by its Croatian acronym HDZ, was set to win 60 seats and the SDP 57 seats with 95 percent of votes counted, state TV reported, citing the State Election Committee. Seven other parties may get enough votes to enter parliament and decide who forms the government. The turnout was 64 percent.

``I've spoken with President Stjepan Mesic and told him I expect the mandate to form the next government,'' Sanader said at his party's headquarters. SDP leader Zoran Milanovic was equally adamant, telling reporters: ``I am happy with these results and I am saying that we are starting to create the Croatian government.''

The 54-year-old premier's party came to power in 2003, replacing a coalition led by the Social Democrats. The Adriatic Sea state had 14 consecutive quarters of economic growth during his term, average inflation was around 3 percent and wages rose while unemployment fell to a record low in August.

The next government will probably lead the country into the European Union. Sanader's administration began entry talks two years ago and the country aims to join by the end of 2010 or early 2011. The previous three governments survived full four-year terms.

Milanovic, 41, led a comeback for his party, which as recently as March was trailing Sanader's with just 18.8 percent support in a poll. By October, a survey for the Puls research agency had both parties at 30.3 percent. Two exit polls published after voting ended yesterday gave the SDP the lead.

Potential Candidates

President Mesic will give the mandate to the party that can get majority support in Parliament.

``We have potential candidates for a coalition for both sides, I mean the HDZ and the SDP,'' the president told reporters after early results were announced.

There will probably be 152 or 153 legislators in the new parliament, depending on the strength of the turnout among Croatians living abroad. The expatriates may get as many as five lawmakers if turnout is high and typically support the HDZ.

Of the other parties likely to be represented in the parliament, only the Croatian People's Party, likely to get seven seats, has said who it will support, coming down in favor of the SDP.

The Croatian Peasants' Party in alliance with the Social Liberals together have a probable eight seats; the Croatian Democratic Union of Slavonija and Baranja has three; the Istrian Democratic Forum, three; and the Croatian Party of Rights and the Croatian Pensioners' Party, have one seat each. None have announced which of the main parties they'll back. There will also be eight members elected by minority ethnic groups living in Croatia.

These are the sixth democratic elections in Croatia since 1990, when the nation was still a member of the Yugoslav Federation. It declared independence a year later, after which it fought a four-year war with its ethnic Serb population, who were protected by Serbian troops dispatched by Belgrade.