Croatia Elects First Woman President Sunday Jan 11,2015

 

Grabar-Kitarovic elected Croatia's first woman president

Opposition challenger Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has become the first female president of Croatia, winning the Presidential Election Run-Off by the narrowest of margins.She secured 50.5% of the vote with 99% of ballots counted, while incumbent Ivo Josipovic was close behind on 49.5%

Croatia's conservative opposition won a narrow presidential victory on Sunday Jan 11,2015, capitalising on popular discontent over economic decline and setting down a marker for parliamentary elections later in the year.

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, a former diplomat, can expect months of tense cohabitation with the Social Democrat-led government before Croats vote again in the general election due in late 2015.
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Ivo  Josipovic has conceded defeat and congratulated his opponent.

The challenger's win is a sign that Croatia may be shifting to the right after the centre-left coalition's failure to end six years of downturn.

The election was seen as a key test for the main parties ahead of parliamentary elections expected to be held towards the end of 2015.

The gap between the two candidates remained at about one percentage point throughout much of the second round.

Turnout was 58.9% - some 12% more than in the first round held two weeks ago, which was equally close.

Grabar-Kitarovic(46)a former foreign minister and ambassador to Washington, campaigned on the need for a change of course and a more active head of state to help the country overcome its worst economic crisis since independence in 1991. She takes office as Croatia's first woman president on Feb 19,2015

The HDZ ruled Croatia from its first democratic election in 1990 until its founder, President Franjo Tudjman, died in December 1999. Since then it has alternated in power with the Social Democrats but has never regained the presidential post.