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Two largest coalitions neck and neck in Croatian parliamentary elections: exit poll

Xinhua, November 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Croatian main coalitions "Croatia Is Growing," led by ruling Social Democratic Party (SDP) and "Patriotic Coalition," led by opposition Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), have won 56 seats each in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to exit polls.

The newly founded party Bridge of Independent Lists (MOST), has won 18 seats in the 151-seat legislature, according to the polls, conducted by the Ipsos Puls agency, a service company for market, media and public opinion research in Croatia.

The polls was welcomed with tumultuous applause at MOST election headquarters in Zagreb on Sunday evening, local media reported.

"We expected between 9 and 12 seats, this is fantastic. If this outcome is confirmed by final election results, it will mean that Bridge will be unavoidable in the next four years," Ivan Lovrinovic, one of MOST's candidates said.

Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), a regional party, and the Human Shield Party won three seats each, while regional HDSSB party and Milan Bandic 365 - Party of Labor and Solidarity, led by Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, took two seats each, the polls said.

The preliminary official elections results are expected to release at 22:00 local time (2100 GMT).

The polls are similar with the pre-election polls which suggested the two main contenders respectively could tie with around 60 seats each.

If the exit polls projections will be confirmed by the official results, neither "Croatia Is Growing" nor "Patriotic Coalition" can gain outright majority, so the next government will depend on the small parties in the assembly.

A total of 6,574 poll stations across the country closed at 19:00 pm local time (1800 GMT). More than 1.5 million voters, or 46.57 percent of 3.8 million eligible voters cast their ballots by 16:30 pm (1500 GMT), according to the State Election Commission (DIP).

More than 2,300 candidates from 166 lists, mostly party lists, are competing for the 151-seat parliament, of which 140 in the 10 constituencies in the country, eight from national minorities, and three from Croatian citizens residing abroad. Enditem