BELGRADE, December 29. /TASS/. None of the eight candidates for the Croatian presidency secured more than 50% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election held on Sunday.
The incumbent president, Zoran Milanovic, who opposes sending Croatian soldiers to the Ukrainian conflict zone, secured first place with 49.12% of the votes after 99.59% of the ballots were counted. He surpassed his main political rival, independent candidate Dragan Primorac, who received 19.38% of the vote.
On Sunday, Croatian citizens elected their president for the next five-year term. The polling stations clodsed at 7 p.m. local time (6 p.m. GMT). According to the State Electoral Commission, the voter turnout totaled 45.99%. Eight candidates were running for the post.
The favorites in the race are current President Zoran Milanovic and independent candidate Dragan Primorac, physician, geneticist and forensic scientist, who is backed by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union party. The other six candidates include Miro Bulj, mayor of the city of Sinj who represents the Bridge party, Ivana Kekin, leader of the We Can! party, Branka Lozo, deputy chairperson of the DOMiNO party, and three more independent candidates, Marija Selak Raspudic, Tomislav Jonjic and Niko Tokic.