Voting underway in Croatian presidential election

(29 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Zagreb, Croatia - 29 December 2024
1. Ballot boxes and attendants at polling stations
2. Various of people casting ballots
3. Man registering to vote at polling station
4. Attendants checking voter list
5. Pensioner Josip Troha casting ballot
6 SOUNDBITE (Croatian) Josip Troha, pensioner from Zagreb:
"I expected that that the candidates would be more focused on issues which are defined in the constitution as within the president’s authority. Things like defence, security services and foreign policy. There was not enough of that. There were two televised debates, on HRT and RTL, and the candidates spent most of the time throwing accusations at each other. Maybe that should have been avoided.”
7. Various of voters casting ballots
8. Wide interior of polling station
STORYLINE:
Voting was underway on Sunday morning in Croatia’s presidential election, pitting centre-left incumbent Zoran Milanovic against conservative challenger, Dragan Primorac.
Croatia’s left-leaning president, an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, is running for his second five-year term, but is unlikely to get an outright majority in the first round of voting on Sunday.
Milanovic, who is often compared to Donald Trump for his combative style of communication with political opponents, faces seven other contenders.
The main challenger is Primorac, a medical doctor and forensic scientist with little political experience, but with the backing of the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union.
According to polls Milanovic is in the lead, with Primorac trailing, and the rest of the candidates far behind.
The two are expected to face off in the second round on Jan. 12 if no contender gets more than 50% of the vote on Sunday.
Polls close at 18:00 GMT, first results are expected around 20:00 GMT.
AP video shot by Sasa Kavic
AP Production: David Spaic-Kovacic
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