President Mesić Re-Elected to Five-Year Term, U.S. President Bush Expresses Congratulations

Zagreb, January 17, 2005 – Incumbent President Stjepan Mesić was re-elected to a five-year term in a runoff held Sunday, January 16, announced the State Electoral Commission citing returns from 99.4 per cent of polling stations.

President Mesić, backed by 8 political parties, received 66 per cent of the vote (about 1.5 million votes), while his opponent, Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won 34 per cent (about 750,000 votes).

Turnout for the election was just over 51 per cent, or 2.3 million out of 4.4 million eligible voters.

State Electoral Commission Chairman Ivica Crnić said the Commission had not received any written complaints about the voting process, and that police had registered 14 minor incidents.

One-hundred and sixty-seven polling stations were open for Croatian nationals living abroad, at which 97,000 voters cast their ballots. Of this number, 82.5 per cent of the vote went to Jadranka Kosor, while 17.4 per cent was won by President Mesić. 

One day after the election, President Mesić received a letter from U.S. President George W. Bush, congratulating him on winning a second five-year term in office.

President Bush expressed his country’s support to Croatia on its road towards the European Union and NATO. He also hailed the growing friendship between the two countries.

“I am looking forward to Croatia’s taking final steps in the continuation of its Euro-Atlantic integration. In this spirit the United States is continuing to support progress which Croatia is making on the road towards membership in the EU and NATO,” President Bush said in his congratulatory message to the Croatian President.