Croatian Democratic Union

The opposition conservative party, Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), claimed victory in the parliamentary elections, which were held in the country on Sunday.

However HDZ will face challenges in forming a government as partial results show that the party is set to win about 60 seats, while the ruling alliance led by the Social Democrats is expected to have 50 MPs.

Croatia's ruling center-left coalition led by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has come neck-and-neck with analliance led by conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) after polls closed in Sunday's parliamentary elections, Hina news agency reported.

According to ballots cast and counted at 31 per cent of polling stations in the country, the opposition centre-right coalition led by the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, is ahead of the governing centre-left coalition the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Sunday's general election.

Polling stations opened at 7am on Sunday in Croatia, where more than 3.7 million voters have the opportunity to cast votes in parliamentary elections.

Who they will choose is hard to call after a closely fought campaign between the governing centre-left coalition and its centre-right opponents.

The latest polls in Croatia suggest that a political newcomer, the Bridge of Independent Lists, MOST, could become the third political force in the country after the next election and so play a role in forming the next government.

Despite pleas from the state ombudsman for children's rights, politicians campaigning for this weekend's parliamentary elections have been seeking to endear themselves to the public by posing for photographs with children.

Croatian parties have put a number of veterans from independence war of the 1990s on their candidates' lists for the parliamentary elections due in November.

The Patriotic Coalition, led by strongest opposition party, the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, is putting at least one war veteran on all its lists.

Political experts told BIRN that in the upcoming elections in November, a major role would be played by parties outside the centre-left coalition led by the governing Social Democratic Party, SDP, and the centre-right coalition led by the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ.

Facing a growing problem with vermin infestation, the mayor of Bosnia's main southern town of Mostar, Ljubo Beslic, has asked for an urgent financial support for an extermination campaign from the Environment Fund in Bosnia's Federation entity.

A city official told BIRN on Monday that Beslic sent a letter to the Federation Environment Fund at the end of last week.

Croatia is entering one of the shortest election campaigns in its history after President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic on Monday set polling day for November 8.

Now the date of the vote has been confirmed, the parties and independent candidates have 14 days to submit their applications to the State Electoral Commission, which will accept and publish all valid lists within 48 hours.