The election-monitoring nongovernmental association GONG has said that the opening of polling stations for Croatia's presidential elections on Sunday and the course of elections at most of the monitored polling stations was peaceful and in line with relevant regulations, without serious violations of the election process.
In a statement issued on Sunday evening, GONG said that it based its assessmenton reports by its monitors and members of the public. By 7 pm, GONG receivedreports from 644 polling stations.
GONG activists described the work of voters' committees as good, and thecooperation between GONG and voters' committees, election commissions and theState Electoral Commission as mostly fair.
GONG monitors reported during the day a somewhat lower turnout, as well as asmall number of critical situations.
Election monitors in Bosnia and Herzegovina reported about voters waiting inqueues at polling stations, because prior to voting they had to be issued withvoting permits.
In the course of the day, GONG also received a number of phone calls frommembers of the public inquiring about the voting of ill and disabled people andcomplaining about violations of the media blackout and problems with voters'registers.
Members of the public mostly inquired about the possibility of votingoutside their place of residence because they did not know that the deadline bywhich they should have registered for such voting had expired.
GONG said that members of the public had not been adequately informed abouthow they can exercise their right to vote outside their place of residence andthat a number of them were unable to exercise that right.
GONG also said that it received reports about violations of theelectioneering ban on Saturday and Sunday, which referred to presidentialcandidates Milan Bandic, Andrija Hebrang, Ivo Josipovic, Damir Kajin, DraganPrimorac, Vesna Pusic and Nadan Vidosevic.
