ZAGREB (AFP) — Croatia's ruling conservatives and left-wing opposition scrambled Monday for support to build a governing majority after an election that left the rivals deadlocked.
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) emerged from Sunday's elections -- dominated by a battle over who is better placed to lead the country into the European Union -- with 66 parliamentary seats, 10 more than the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP).
But the HDZ was still short of the 77 needed to guarantee forming the next government and and the SDP said it had secured its first coalition partners to help bridge the gap.
"We are starting to gather a parliamentary majority to form a new government," SDP leader Zoran Milanovic told journalists.
The SDP is looking for allies among "all those who believe that Croatia needs a change, that it needs a new, more capable and more honest government," he said.
With the support of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), the Istria Democratic Party (IDS) and the Bosnian Muslim minority representative, the SDP would have 67 seats.
Croatia's parliament can have up to 160 seats: 140 regular deputies, eight guaranteed for the minorities and up 12 for Croatians living abroad, depending on the turnout.
The HDZ, even though it must still negotiate with potential partners, remained confident that it would form the new government.
"Now the HDZ victory is certain, (but) I will not and I cannot proclaim it before final results are completed. Nothing major can change, the HDZ is winning," Sanader told loyalists, amid muted celebrations.
President Stipe Mesic said: "I will give the mandate to the one who brings me convincing evidence of having a majority in the parliament."
Croatia's fifth elections since it became independent from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, were seen as a contest over who was best equipped to lead the country's preparations for EU membership.
The European Commission welcomed Croatia's "orderly" elections.
"I trust the future government will strive for EU membership and work on fulfilling the necessary criteria in order to meet the ambitious targets which Croatia has set for itself," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said in a statement.
Independent analyst Davor Gjenero warned the political stalemate could last but said he believed the prime minister had the upper hand in negotiations.
"The current situation is awkward for both parties," Gjenero told AFP. "Croatia is politically blocked. Without the positive influence of President Mesic, it could last longer.
"The political experience of Sanader should give him an advantage in forming coalition," he added.
The smaller parties waiting to negotiate include groups representing farmers, pensioners and minorities.
Trailing the two major rivals were a coalition of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) and Croatian Liberal Party (HSLS) with a total of eight seats, followed by the HNS with seven, according to the election results, based on a count of more than 99 percent of the votes.
Among other smaller parties to have won seats were the hardline Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB), which got three seats, as did the IDS.
A total of 4.4 million people were eligible to vote in the elections, with voters in 53 countries including Australia, Bosnia, Germany and the United States. The turnout was 63.53 percent, five percent less than the 2003 elections.
Analysts agreed that whoever wins, Croatia will maintain similar foreign and internal policies as the two main parties share similar agendas on EU and NATO membership.
Croatia hopes to join the EU by 2010 and to receive an invitation for NATO next year.
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