Reuters reports that the favourite of the first election round is Josipovic,an Opposition candidate who promised to step up the fight against corruption inthe country, which is a candidate for European Union membership.

"Josipovic, a newcomer with no blemishes in his career but seen aslacking charisma, is likely to face a January 10 run-off against either MilanBandic, the powerful populist mayor of Zagreb who was recently expelled fromthe Social Democrats, or Nadan Vidosevic, a wealthy businessman and formermember of the ruling conservative HDZ party," says Reuters.

The HDZ's candidate, former health minister Andrija Hebrang, will not makeit to the second round, according to surveys, which analysts said reflected theelectorate's deep discontent with rising unemployment and low living standards,says Reuters.

The Agence France Presse (AFP) says that Croatia's new president will have atask to lead into the EU a country that is on the verge of a deep economiccrisis and is facing numerous high-level corruption scandals.

Quoting surveys, the AFP says that Josipovic is the likeliest to enter arun-off, and that his rival will be either Bandic or Vidosevic.

The Associated Press (AP) says that twelve candidates are running to replacepopular President Stjepan Mesic, who helped discourage the nationalism promotedby his predecessor in the 1990s and encouraged a shift to the West, includingjoining NATO and preparing the former Yugoslav republic for membership in theEU.

The leading candidates are pro-Western and U.S.-friendly and will likelysupport continued efforts to win entry into the EU, says the AP.

The German news agency DPA, too, says that Josipovic is certain to enter arun-off on January 10, and that his likeliest rival is either Bandic, orVidosevic or Hebrang.

The agency says that the elections are being held at a time when the countryfaces hardship, including some delayed, painful reforms and the growingpressure of the huge foreign debt, which is to become larger than its annualgross domestic product in 2010.

The Austrian media, too, give extensive coverage to the Croatianpresidential vote, particularly on Sunday, reporting in detail about thepresidential candidates and the political situation in the country.

The Austrian media report that the candidates' political platforms did notplay a big role, but rather their personalities, and that all candidates stressthat they have nothing to do with corruption which is destabilising theCroatian society.

The Slovene news agency STA estimates that Josipovic and Bandic are thelikeliest to win the most votes of the country's electorate of 4.5 million, andthat Vidosevic and Hebrang, independent candidate Dragan Primorac, and CroatianPeople's Party (HNS) candidate Vesna Pusic, too, are counting on entering arun-off.

The Italian news agency ANSA, Serbia's Tanjug and other news agencies alsoreport about the presidential elections in Croatia on Sunday.