Croatians go to the polls today amid a deepening economic crisis and concerns over high-level corruption to elect a president to steer the Balkans country into the European Union.
A dozen candidates are seeking to replace the popular centrist Stipe Mesic, who during his maximum two five-year terms in office guided the country to a parliamentary democracy following the authoritarian rule of independence leader Franjo Tudjman.
While Mesic succeeded in gaining Croatia's entry into the NATO military alliance earlier this year, the country's EU ambitions were delayed by a border dispute with neighbouring Slovenia.
The country is now unlikely to join the 27-member bloc before 2012, but first must tackle a deepening economic crisis and high-level corruption.
Polls show that the election is likely to go to a January 10 runoff as none of the 12 candidates is close to the 50 per cent support needed for an outright victory.
Ivo Josipovic of the main opposition Social Democrats is virtually assured a place in the runoff as polls give him an average lead of 15 percentage points over his opponents.
The 52-year-old legal expert and classical music composer is likely to face either controversial Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic or businessman Nadan Vidosevic.
Polls show the populist Bandic, 54, a former veteran SDP member, is running neck-and-neck with Vidosevic, 49, a former member of the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union who has headed the Croatian Chamber of Commerce since 1995.
{{/usCountry}}Polls show the populist Bandic, 54, a former veteran SDP member, is running neck-and-neck with Vidosevic, 49, a former member of the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union who has headed the Croatian Chamber of Commerce since 1995.
{{/usCountry}}