Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic (right)
Tomislav Karamarko (left/ president HDZ)
Photo: Davor Puklavec/Pixsell
The time to hand in citizens’ signatures supporting individual candidates for the presidential elections expired midnight Saturday 6 December.
Seven candidates may be yet confirmed as running in the elections to be held December 28. The Croatian Electoral office received bundles/boxes of original signatures sheets from:
Kolinda Grabar, Kitarovic (Croatian Democratic Union/HDZ and its coalition parties) – 328,683 signatures;
Ivo Josipovic (current president backed by Social Democrats and their coalition parties) – 203.875 signatures;
Miland Kujundzic (Croatian Dawn/Alliance for Croatia coalition) – 50,000 signatures;
Ivan Vilibor Sincic (from “Living Wall” citizens’ organization that attempts stopping tenancy eviction orders as per defaults on bank loan repayments) – 15, 200 signatures. Sincic said that the political parties to which other candidates belong have done nothing for Croatia in the past 25 years. He emphasized that his election platform is founded on cancelling all privatization and the “return of the stolen”, on the lustration of war profiteers and failed politicians, changes to Debt Payment Enforcement Act, a stop to all current eviction orders and a return to Croatia’s monetary sovereignty.
Ivan Vilibor Sincic
Photo: Goran Mehkek/Cropix
There are three more candidates who may qualify yet as the numbers of signatures they claim they have lodged have not yet been verified. They are:
Slobodan Midzic – did not hand in sheets with signatures but unlike the other candidates he handed in a CD on which he said there were more than 500,000 signatures. Given that he failed to hand in to the Electoral office a certification of a specific campaign funds bank account he was warned he was in breach of electoral procedures and would most likely be fined, however he did not withdraw from candidacy. Midzic is an engineer from Velika Kladusa in Bosnia and Herzegovina who also ran, unsuccessfully, in these elections 5 years ago – reportedly a nostalgic for former Yugoslavia whose ballot paper for last parliamentary elections in Croatia was struck off as invalid – it had the Communist Alliance as his nominator;
Ratko Dobrovic and Ivan Bavcevic – both independent.
“We have collected more signatures than any other candidate has in the history of signature-collection for presidential candidacies in Croatia. We are in for a campaign for a better Croatia, a modern, self-confident, patriotic, strong country, and since we have collected this many signatures of support, I expect an election victory,” Grabar Kitarovic said after handing over the boxes with signature sheets.
She said that during her campaign she would explain to citizens what she could offer them – life in a better Croatia, economic growth, social stability, rule of law, national security and defence, and international acknowledgement.
Ivo Josipovic (Left) with
Zoran Milanovic (right/Prime Minister)
Photo: Jurica Galoic/Pixsell
Ivo Josipovic, the current president of Croatia and a candidate at the coming elections said on Saturday in Zagreb at the handing over of signatures ceremony: “We have collected 203,875 valid signatures and I thank all citizens who gave their signatures for my candidacy and I also thank the parties that back my candidacy”.
Milan Kujundzic (Centre)
Photo: hina.hr
Milan Kujundzic said at handing over of signatures ceremony: “ No one should stay at home and not vote. Let everyone vote in accordance with their own conscience and if they think that this which we have now is good let them vote for the existing. If they this this what we have should be changed let them vote for those who have freedom, credibility and the resolve to do everything they are promising, and not say one thing and then do another… Croatian people must choose whether they want the same people who have done this (brought Croatia to a brink of an abyss) or whether they want a new Croatia and a bright and prospective Croatia.
The reported numbers of signatures collected for the individual candidates strongly place Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in front of all the other candidates and could well mean that she has distinguished herself from others and is noticed as the leading candidate. While various polls, which one can take or leave particularly because they’re always taken from a limited and small “slice” of voter body, place her as runner-up to Josipovic the collection of signatures certainly represents a significant slice from the body of about 3.5 million voters. A cynic may argue that her campaign quarters have perhaps worked harder than any other at collecting signatures but that argument can only work in her favour because it shows ardent determination to succeed, to make a difference for Croatia. If one works hard to secure a job then one can expect one will work hard in that job. Nothing is, therefore, taken for granted and it’s through hard work such as this, backed up by the consistency of her policies to make Croatia a better place to live in that seems to have made her name rise to the top of the candidates’ list.
Whether the number of signatures in support of candidacy will translate into actual votes is at this stage a result impossible to predict with certainty. Much work paves the road to the 28th of December and it disappoints greatly that, once again, there will be no postal voting, no electronic voting and Croats living abroad are once again discriminated against. It is virtually impossible for most to make a trip to even the nearest Croatian consular office/polling place. To make matters worse, all voters living abroad need to register by 17 December to vote on the 28th December (First round) or 11th January (Second round), even those who do not have a address of abode in Croatia and who in previous elections could simply turn up at polling place on election day and vote. For all those living abroad and wishing to vote please register by the 17th and to make matters easier for you I have uploaded the Form you need to fill in (wherever you are in the world) and send it off to your nearest Croatian consular service office and do not forget to attach a photocopy of you ID document if you are lodging the registration to vote form via email, fax or post and not doing it in person. Your closest diplomatic-consular office can be searched at http://www.mvep.hr/hr/predstavnistva/dmkurh-u-svijetu/ . Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)
APPLICATION TO REGISTER TO VOTE FORM/CLICK PHOTO AND PRINT FOR USE
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Man, I wish I could do what you do…
I’m just an inane dribbled compared to you.
When I get to high on myself and my “great” writing, lol, I remember that I am only a mere hack compared to what you do.
You try to make a difference…
Ah, thank you, Trey – but you know you make a huge difference in people’s lives – your writing is witty, to the point, many, many find bits of their lives in it – not just yours 😀 You are so to the point in a different way to me…thank you so very much and cheers and keep on keeping on
The minute Kujundzic said Kolinda ‘doesnt live in Croatia.. inferring she cannot be part of Croatia, which is every Yugos dream come true and they work avidly to keep Croats out.. he lost me. In any case Kolinda has worked for Croats and Croatia nearly all her major working life in International positions where she didn’t have the luxury to be in her homeland as well. The homeland she was bought up and educated in to Serve her ppl all over the world..her homeland ppl. Kujundzic you share the same Yugo Josipovic hate towards Croats over the world and you want to fuel that indoctrination. We may not vote in numbers but ww will now influence the world with words that it is a gift from the world that Kolinda was given to Croatia, mostly to build and renurture the bridges of hate you Yugos have spread and infested about brother and sister Croat for you own manipulation whilst you steal. WHAT kind of a salary and who are the banks that lent a poor Croat doctor accumulate his vast wealth.. whilst most doctors salaries are 5000 to no more than 8000 kuna?
Yes, Michelle, it would seem quite hypocritical of Kujundzic to say that about Kolinda and yet in the same breath he says if he is president he would establish a whole new Ministry for Croats living abroad so as to show the respect he has for them! What a bag of rubbish if you aske me: in these days of instant communication and fast travel one does not need to live in a country to live for it. He should know that.
Croatia needs new Croatia and Josipovic will not deliver that, he keeps pushing Croatia back into dark communist days
WOW – that’s impressive! Go KolinDA!
Yes.
In Britain, our voter turnouts are low and getting lower, but I almost get a religious feeling from voting: This is the people of my country, which I love, coming together. I wish Croatia a peaceful, honest and enthusiastic election campaign.
Yes, Clare, numbers do get low in many countries and I hope one day everyone, everywhere will vote 😀 In Australia it’s mandatory to vote 🙂
Reblogged this on Ace Breaking News.
Thank you for the reblog Ace News Group
You are truly welcome and it was a really great post, so need to go on breaking news.
Please be patient with me – shall do the link – soon – have not forgotten just all over the place – lots of work, little time – at this time of year 😀
Know what you mean when it is time. No rush Ian 🙂
XX
May the best woman win!
Hehehehe, Carol – I reckon!
A universal saying , excellent article. TO vote is to achieve and succeed.Regards,J.M.
Thanks, Jalal
Fascinating article, enjoyed , thank you!
Thank you, Heartafire
Great overview here, Ina. Yes, cream always rises, as you explain.
Thank you, Christy
When the Serbian Cetnik leader Vojislav Seselj goes on TV recently espousing the great virtues of current Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, you know there is a serious problem. (Folks google it, it’s online.)
A vote for Ivo Josipovic and his SDPers is a vote for Greater Serbia and the Cetniks. Period. Anyone who doesn’t get that needs their head examined.
I saw that, Veronika, and was revolted
Veronica is absolutely right. A vote for Josipovic is a vote for not only for the UDBA but for Greater Serbia. How any voter in Croatia can go to the poll and vote for Josipovic, with a clear conscious, is beyond me.
The evidence is building up against this man by journalists such as Milan Ivkosic, Tihomir Dujmovic and authors like Zdravko Tomac who Josipovic described as a “madman” and “sicko”.
Nobody can get their head around this man. How a “mental communist” can first get elected, produce absolutely nothing and then lead in the polls is extraordinary.
Handing over secret documents to a Serbian counterpart, denigrating our people in Israel, blaming Tudman for the war in Bosnia, presiding over a failing economy and weakening of our arm forces.
No debate whatsoever on TV about what this man has done over the last 5 years to benefit the nation. Only some nonsense about the “region”.
Just today starting his campaign at Marshal Tito square and telling the world this is not “accidental”. Terrifying.
Again, can’t say it enough,. I learn so much from your posts!
Aw thank you so very much psychologistmimi, so glad to know
…the Serbians (Vojislav Seselj et al.) will do ANYTHING, even to vote for OPEN traitors such as Josipovic, chetniks such as Pusic, et al., as long as they do the Chetnik Serbian bidding! The Serbians are better politicians than the British (and that does NOT say much for anyone else!), and they will use any method to gain access to the sea…and that doesn’t mean Montenegro, it means……….Croatia! If the Croats vote for Josipovic on 28 december 2014, then I am afraid, the Serbians should take over all of Croatia…..at least they will know what to do with it! We will stay tuned….more later!