(29 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Zagreb, Croatia – 29 December 2024
1. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, with wife Sanja, arriving at polling station
2. Milanovic taking ballot
3. Various of Milanovic going to voting booth and voting
4. Milanovic casting his ballot and leaving
5. SOUNDBITE (Croatian) Zoran Milanovic, Croatian President:
“Since the election silence is still on, I just want to call on people to get out and vote. To support me. That’s all. We have two things ahead of us, two runs, in skiing terms – although there will be no skiing this year. In the first run skis have to be sharpened well, and in the second run one just needs to safely go down the run. I believe it will be fine. Once again, to all Croatian citizens, Croatian people, I’m calling on them to vote today. It’s worth it. It’s worth it.”
6. Tracking of Milanovic with wife leaving polling station
STORYLINE:
Croatia’s left-leaning president Zoran Milanovic cast his ballot on Sunday in the presidential election in which he is seeking another five-year term.
An outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, Milanovic is the leading candidate in the polls, but is unlikely to get an outright majority in the first round of voting on Sunday.
Milanovic, who is often compared to Donald Trump for his combative style of communication with political opponents, faces seven other contenders.
The main challenger is Dragan Primorac, a geneticist and forensic expert with little political experience, but backed by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union.
The two are expected to face off in the second round on Jan. 12 if no contender gets more than 50% of the vote, according to pre-election polls.
The most popular politician in Croatia, 58-year-old Milanovic had served as prime minister in the past.
Populist in style, Milanovic has been a fierce critic of current conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and continuous sparring between the two has lately marked Croatia’s political scene.
Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme commander of the military.
Polls close at 18:00 GMT, first results are expected around 20:00 GMT.
AP video shot by Sasa Kavic
AP production: David Spaic-Kovacic
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