Liberal president set for re-election in Croat vote

Croatia's liberal pro-Western President Stjepan Mesic looked set to win a second term after an election run-off yesterday, taking an unassailable lead over the ruling conservatives' top woman in early exit polls. The polls released by state television...

Croatia's liberal pro-Western President Stjepan Mesic looked set to win a second term after an election run-off yesterday, taking an unassailable lead over the ruling conservatives' top woman in early exit polls.

The polls released by state television gave Mr Mesic, credited with putting the former Yugoslav republic on the road to European Union membership, 71 per cent of votes. Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor trailed him on 29 per cent.

Ms Kosor, a candidate of the ruling centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), was expected to improve her standing later with votes from Bosnian Croats, but can hardly catch up.

The winner will probably oversee the country's EU entry, planned for 2009. Mr Mesic, 70, won the first round of voting two weeks ago but failed to gain an outright majority.

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