The ruling conservative party candidate failed to reach the Jan. 10 runoff in Sunday’s vote -- a sign that Croatians aren’t satified with the government’s stumbling efforts to curb economic decline and high-level corruption. The Social Democrat lawmaker Ivo Josipovic garnered 32.4 percent of votes and Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic -- who ran as an independent candidate -- got 14.8 percent of the votes, complete results showed. A 50-percent support was required for outright victory.Both candidates are considered pro-Western and will likely support the ex-Yugoslav country’s efforts to win entry into the European Union, possibly in 2011 or 2012. Both Josipovic and Bandic are linked to the Social Democrats -- Bandic, a popular mayor of the capital since 2000, was kicked out of the party when he decided to run against Josipovic. But, they have very different styles.
Josipovic, 52, is well-educated and preaches honesty and justice. Bandic, 54, a populist whose stand shifts across the political spectrum, is believed to maneuver around regulations to get the job done. He has repeatedly been accused of cronyism and nepotism; he doesn’t speak English and hasn’t showed much knowledge or interest in foreign affairs.
