Croatia: Bandic, Josipovic to vie for Presidency

Croatia’s presidential election will have a run-off vote, with Ivo Josipovic and Milan Bandic as candidates for Presidency, after no candidate garnered a majority in a first round yesterday.

Ivo Josipovic, a law professor supported by the opposition Social Democratic Party, won 32.4 percent. Zagreb’s Mayor Milan Bandic won 14.8 percent, according to online reports by the central electoral commission in Zagreb.

Both candidates for presidential post are considered pro-western and friendly toward the U.S. It is expected both of them will support Croatia's efforts to join the European Union in 2011 or 2012.