ZAGREB, 10 July  2022 - Over 160 polling stations were opened on Sunday in Split for the second round of the snap mayoral elections in which Ivica Puljak of the Centar Party and Zoran Đogaš, an independent supported by the HDZ and HSS parties, are vying for the mayoral post in the second biggest Croatian city.

The first results of the runoff will be announced by the State Election Commission (DIP) after 2000 hrs Sunday.

In the first round of the early polls 14 days ago, Puljak finished as first and was short 1.3 percentage points for the outright victory. Đogaš came second with 25.67% of the vote on 26 June.

The other seven mayoral candidates won below 10% of the vote in the first round of the polls: Željko Kerum of the HGS (7.94%), Josip Markotić of the Bridge party (4.53%), Aris Zlodre of the Homeland Movement (3.89%). Davor Matijević of the Social Democratic Party (3.84%), Tamara Visković of the We Can and the New Left (1.85%), Kristina Vidan of Pametno za Split i Dalmaciju (1.28%) and independent Ante Franić (0.66%).

An early election was also held for the 31-seat city council on 26 June, and according to the returns from the polling stations, the Centar party won 42.47% of the vote. The slate of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) follows with 23.81%, while the HGS party of former mayor Kerum ranks  third with 7.11% of the vote. 

The other three slates that passed the 5% threshold are Bridge with 6.61% of the vote, the SDP/HSU with 5.75%, and the Homeland Movement (DP) with its partners HDS, HSP and Sovereignists (5.63%).

The turnout was 31.6% on 26 June.

The snap elections for the mayor and the city council were held 12 months after regular local elections in Croatia in May 2021. The early polls were called after Mayor Puljak and his two deputies tendered their resignations on 8 April following a scandal involving Deputy Mayor Bojan Ivošević, who threatened a local reporter and was subsequently indicted for intimidation on 23 March.

After their resignations, the members of the 31-seat city council also stepped down, paving the way for an early election for the city council.

(Hina) ms