The State Election Commission (DIP) has decided that nongovernmental organisations can publish the findings of their surveys, following a complaint by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) after the nongovernmental organisations GONG and TIH published information on the amount of funds allegedly spent by political parties on the first day of the election campaign.
"In line with their registered activity, nongovernmental organisations can publish information they have established on the basis of their surveys. In doing so, they answer to participants in the election process and the public for the authenticity of the data published, and consequently for the conclusions derived from those data," DIP said on Sunday in a statement signed by its chairman Branko Hrvatin.
The ruling HDZ party asked DIP for protection after GONG and TIH on Saturday published the findings of a survey showing that on the first day of the election campaign, November 17, the HDZ spent 1,551,720 kuna on advertising, not including VAT.
The party admits to having spent only slightly more than one million kuna, including VAT.
