Croatia is headed for a hung parliament with neither the ruling coalition led by incumbent prime minister Zoran Milanovic nor the opposition coalition likely to get a majority in the 151-seat national Parliament.
Preliminary results, announced by country's electoral committee on early Monday morning, show opposition conservative coalition led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is ahead of ruling Croatia Grows coalition led by Milanovic's Social Democratic Party (SDP), according to Balkan Insight.
With about 50 percents of votes counted, HDZ is leading in 61 of 151 seats, SDP is leading in 53 seats while a new party, the Bridge of Independent Lists (MOST), is likely to become kingmaker as it takes a surprise lead in 19 seats, according to Total Croatia news.
HDZ leader Tomislav Karamarko claimed victory in his address to party supporters in capital Zagreb.
"We have won. The party which has won the most number of votes must lead Croatia in the future," Karamarko, a former intelligence chief, declared, according to Telegraph.
"The victory brought us responsibility to lead our country, which is in a difficult situation. Whoever wants to fight with us for the quality of life in Croatia is welcome," he said, according to BBC.
The fracture mandate places newcomer MOST party into a position of kingmaker in the government formation.
"We clearly said that reforms are the condition, but not some compromise, but the whole package: public administration, monetary system, justice," most leader Bozo Petrov said after preliminary results announcement, according to DPA.
More than 46 percent of the country's 3.8 million eligible voters cast their ballots on Sunday, Nov. 9 in Croatia's first parliamentary election since joining the European Union bloc in 2013. The tiny Balkan nation joined the European Union in 2013.
