Professor set to become Croatian president

LAW PROFESSOR and composer Ivo Josipovic was poised to become Croatia’s new president last night after exit polls gave him a comfortable election lead over controversial Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic.

The poll gave Mr Josipovic 64.6 per cent of votes, well clear of Mr Bandic on 35.4 per cent, as the two men fought to take the helm in Croatia as it aims to join the EU by 2012.

“This is it. Croatia has chosen its new president,” said Igor Dragovan of the opposition Social Democrats, who backed Mr Josipovic and expelled Mr Bandic when he insisted on running against the party’s will.

Mr Josipovic won the first round of the ballot a fortnight ago, heartening his base of liberal, urban supporters, while Mr Bandic, a populist accused of flirting with nationalism, relied on support from rural voters, staunch Catholics and Croats living in Bosnia, where he was born.

Mr Bandic (54) hoped his “can-do” attitude and pledge to “work like a horse” for Croatia would help him capitalise on the perceived of lack of dynamism in Mr Josipovic (52), but he was dogged by rumours of corruption right up to election day.

Croatian media often accuse Mr Bandic of cronyism, but he has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Mr Josipovic was seen as the safer choice for president and the leader more likely to back the government’s anti-corruption drive. He also benefited from the support of popular outgoing president Stipe Mesic.

“We have one candidate who is a hard worker [Bandic] and one academic. Ideally, we would need a combination of the two. I come from the working class, so I voted for the worker,” said Miljenko Jovic, a pensioner who cast his ballot in Zagreb.

The winner of the ballot should “help in cleaning up crime and corruption, so that there are no more untouchables”, said designer Vanda Samric after voting in Zagreb. “He should serve as a filter between people and the government, help Croatians to have an optimistic view of the future and bring back faith in fairness and honesty.”