Croatian presidential election, 2005

Croatian presidential election, 2005

2000 ← 2 January and 16 January 2005 → 2009-2010

Nominee Stjepan Mesić Jadranka Kosor Party Independent HDZ Popular vote 1,454,451 751,692 Percentage 65.93% 34.07%

Results of the second round in all of Croatia's counties: the candidate with the majority of votes in each administrative division. Mesić: orange; Kosor: blue

President before election Stjepan Mesić Elected President Stjepan Mesić

Croatia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Croatia

Constitution Constitution Legislative Sabor Speaker Luka Bebić Assembly Opposition Zoran Milanović Judiciary Supreme Court Constitutional Court Executive President (List) Ivo Josipović Government (List) Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor Cabinet Political parties Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Social Democratic Party (SDP) Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats (HNS-LD) Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) Croatian Party of Pensioners (HSU) Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) Elections Presidential: 2009–2010 Parliamentary: 2007, 2011 Local: 2009 Divisions Counties (Županija) Foreign relations EU accession

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The fourth presidential elections in Croatia took place in two rounds in January 2005.

Background

The State Elections Committee published a list of candidates on 15 December 2004. President Stjepan Mesić stood for re-election, and the governing HDZ nominated cabinet minister Jadranka Kosor. A total of thirteen candidates were accepted, each after having submitted 10,000 citizen signatures, an endorsement required by law.

Mesić won a landslide victory gaining nearly 49% of the vote in the first round, held on 2 January 2005. He only narrowly missed the 50% target for an outright win, with Kosor trailing with 20% and a surprising independent candidate Boris Mikšić with 18% of the vote. The elections went to a second round held on 16 January 2005 in which Mesić and Kosor were the only candidates. This time, Mesić won an overwhelming majority with about 66% of the vote against Kosor's 34%.

Results

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  Stjepan Mesić independent candidate supported by left-wing political parties

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  Jadranka Kosor candidate of the Croatian Democratic Union

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  Đurđa Adlešić candidate of the Croatian Social Liberal Party

e • d Summary of the 2 and 16 January 2005 Croatian presidential election results

Candidates and nominating parties	Votes	%	Votes	%
Stjepan Mesić - Croatian People's Party and others	1,089,398	48.92	1,454,451	65.93
Jadranka Kosor - Croatian Democratic Union	452,218	20.31	751,692	34.07
Boris Mikšić	396,093	17.78	-	-
Đurđa Adlešič - Croatian Social Liberal Party	59,795	2.68	-	-
Slaven Letica - Croatian Party of Rights	57,748	2.59	-	-
Ljubo Ćesić	41,216	1.85	-	-
Ivić Pašalić - Croatian Bloc - Movement for a Modern Croatia	40,637	1.82	-	-
Anto Kovačević - Croatian Christian Democratic Union	19,145	0.86	-	-
Miroslav Blažević	17,847	0.80	-	-
Miroslav Rajh - Croatian Youth Party	14,766	0.66	-	-
Doris Košta	8,721	0.37	-	-
Mladen Kešer	7,056	0.32	-	-
Tomislav Petrak - Croatian Popular Party	2,614	0.12	-	-
Invalid votes	20,269		35,617
Total (turnout 50.57 %)	2,227,073	100.0	2,241,760	100.0
Registered voters	4,403,933		4,392,220
Source: State Election Committee (Državno izborno povjerenstvo) Official results

Analysis

Most polls before the first round were predicting the incumbent president Stjepan Mesić would be reelected without a runoff, securing 50% + 1 vote.^[1] However, Jadranka Kosor benefited from the votes coming from the citizens living abroad, which narrowed the president's victory by only a couple of points, but enough to secure a second round. The greatest surprise of the election was the independent candidate Boris Mikšić, a Croatian businessman and entrepreneur living in the United States. His campaign was heavily based on the message of a 'Croatian dream', similar to the American dream he said he achieved during his career in the US. On the night of the election, the first exit polls indicated president Mesić might secure a second term without the need of a runoff, while Kosor and Mikšić were shown battling for second place.^[2] As the first results started coming in it was evident that Mesić was not going to secure 50% + 1 vote and that a runoff is inevitable. As votes from the citizens living abroad were tallied, Kosor overtook Mikšić, placing second and qualifying for the second round. The campaign began immediately the next day and during the two week long campaign, three presidential debates were held, one on each of Croatia's three major television networks. Despite most observers and post debate polls indicating Kosor won the debates, Mesić maintained his lead in the polls. As Election Day neared, the Kosor campaign exceeded all previous campaign spending records, trying to motivate the conservative base.^[3] On Election Day, as polls around the country closed at 7 pm, all television networks announced Mesić won a landslide victory based on the exit polls, which official results later confirmed. Kosor conceded and congratulated Mesić on his victory.

References

1. ^ "Jutarnji list i Mediana: Bandić treći, a još se nije ni kandidirao" (in Croatian). Jutarnji list. 19 September 2009. http://predsjednicki-izbori.com/istrazivanja/bandic-treci-a-jos-se-nije-ni-kandidirao/. Retrieved 11 November 2009. 
2. ^ "Prema zadnjim projekcijama izbornih rezultata Mesić uvjerljivo vodi" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 2 January 2005. http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak.aspx?id=242204. Retrieved 11 November 2009. 
3. ^ "Kosor u prvom krugu potrošila najmanje 8,7 milijuna kuna" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 8 January 2005. http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/kosor-u-prvom-krugu-potrosila-najmanje-87-milijuna-kuna/243098.aspx. Retrieved 11 November 2009. 

External links

• Angus Reid Consultants - Election Tracker