Zagreb - The first, unofficial data from Croatia's parliamentary elections Sunday indicated a change of authority after a neck-and-neck race. According to exit polls released by the national television HTV, the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) claimed 61 seats in the upcoming parliament. Early statements from political leaders allowed a glimpse at a majority coalition grouped around SPD.
The People's Party (HNS) and the Farmers Party (HSSS) with seven and five seats, respectively, the regional Istria Democratic Assembly (IDS) with two seats, along with several minority seats may be enough for the SDP leader Branko Milanovic to claim victory.
The minorities will have a total of eight seats, according to the exit polls, with first partial official results expected after 9pm (2000GMT).
The biggest loser from pre-election surveys, the Croatian Pensioners Party (HSU), won just a single seat instead of coming in as the third-strongest bloc and the keyholder to a cabinet alliance.
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) will have 57 seats in the assembly that would have around 150 seats, depending on the final turnout.
The turnout among the 4.1 million voters in Croatia proper was lower than four years ago.
The HDZ still hopes that the votes from the diaspora, most of all the 400,000 in Bosnia, would at least equalize the score in relation to SPD and perhaps crack open a door to talks on a majority coalition.
