Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on Monday evening called on the main opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) to admit defeat at Sunday's parliamentary elections, claiming that his ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has an advantage of 10 seats over the SDP.
"My advice to those who believe that the voters' decision can be changed by trade is to forget it," Sanader was quoted as saying by the Croatian state news agency HINA.
Sanader made the statement at a news conference called after SDP leader Zoran Milanovic and Croatian People's Party leader Vesna Pusic said that they were about to start forming a center-left government with other parties.
"The talks are proceeding well and there is an excellent chance that we will form a parliamentary majority, which will be the basis for the formation of a new government," Pusic said in a press conference, adding that her party accepted SDP member Ljubo Jurcic as the prime ministerial candidate.
Sanader, who declared election victory shortly before midnight on Sunday, said he could understand the disappointment of the rivals, but that "they have to respect the rules of democracy."
The HDZ has already started talks on the formation of the new government, Sanader said, adding that he could not comment on any details, but that his party was entering negotiations "with full confidence."
Asked why President Stjepan Mesic had still not recognized the HDZ's election victory, Sanader said the president was not the one to decide about the election winner.
"The State Election Commission has stated that the HDZ has won with ten seats more and that body has the mandate to say who has won the elections," he said.
According to incomplete results the State Election Commission released at noon on Monday, the HDZ won 61 seats and the SDP 56. The two main parties are followed by the coalition of the Peasant Party and the Social Liberals with eight seats and the Croatian People's Party with seven seats.
About 4 million voters are eligible to vote in Croatia's sixth multi-party parliamentary elections since 1990. According to the State Election Commission, turnout in the Sunday's elections was about 63.53 percent, lower than the 68.67 percent registered in the previous parliamentary elections in 2003.
Parliamentary elections were conducted in 10 electoral units in Croatia and in two special ones, one for the Croatian Diaspora and Croatian nationals residing abroad, and the other for Croatia's national minorities.
Some 400,000 Croatian citizens living abroad are eligible to vote in constituency 11 covering the Croatian emigrant community from 53 countries.
The Croatian constitution stipulates that the unicameral parliament can have no less than 100 and no more than 160 deputies. Parliament members will be elected on the basis of direct, universal and equal suffrage for a four-year term.
Source:Xinhua
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