The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won a majority of seats in assemblies in 12 big cities, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in six ones, while the regional Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) was the winner in the legislatures in two cities in Istria, and the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and the regional Croatian Democratic Party of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) won one city each, according to incomplete results of Sunday's local elections which the Croatian State Election Commission (DIP) released on late Sunday night.
The opposition HDZ is the winner in the elections for the councils in Gospic, Zadar, Sibenik, Dubrovnik, Karlovac, Sisak, Velika Gorica, Krapina, Bjelovar, Virovitica and Vukovar, while it was still uncertain whether the HDZ or the slate of the nonparty candidate Mirko Duspara would win a majority of seats in the legislature in the eastern city of Slavonski Brod.
The SDP and its partners can claim victory in the assemblies in Rijeka, Split, Cakovec and Koprivnica as well as in Zagreb and Pozega, although in those last two cities the final outcome can change with the returns from all polling stations.
The regional IDS won the most seats in the assemblies of Pula and Pazin, the HNS-led coalition in Varazdin and Bjelovar and the HDSSB in its stronghold, the biggest eastern city of Osijek.
The HDZ mayoral candidates won the outright victory in the first round of voting in Velika Gorica, south of Zagreb, and in the northeastern city of Virovitica, while the SDP mayoral candidate won over 50% of the vote in Cakovec.
The heads of counties, mayors and municipal heads needed to collect at least 50% of the vote in the first round, otherwise there will be a runoff in two weeks' time with the first two vote-getters competing for office.
Thus, HDZ mayoral candidates are the top vote-getters in Gospic, Zadar, Sibenik, Karlovac, Sisak and Krapina, but did not manage to garner over 50% of the vote, which is why they will compete with the second best vote-getters in the runoff in two weeks' time.
The same applies to SDP mayoral candidates in Rijeka, Split, Koprivnica, Pozega where they and the second best vote-getters will face off in the second round of voting on 2 June.
The current Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic, a nonparty candidate, will vie with his rival from the SDP, Rajko Ostojic, in the runoff, but the incumbent has a significant edge.
In the southernmost city of Dubrovnik, the HDZ and the HNS mayoral candidates will be in the runoff,
The City of Osijek will have the runoff between the HDSSB mayoral candidate Kresimir Bubalo and nonparty candidate Ivica Vrkic, supported by the SDP and the HNS.
