Presidential elections will be held in Croatia on 28 December 2014. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote in the first round, a run-off with the two top placed candidates will take place on 11 January 2015.[1]
Candidates
As of 22 November 2014, the following candidates have announced their bids:[1]
Milan Kujundžić, member of the right-wing populist Croatian Dawn (HZ) non-parliamentary party, candidate of the Alliance for Croatia coalition of parties. Candidacy officially confirmed on 18 October 2014.[10]
Ivan Bavčević, independent, life coach and political activist.[11]
Withdrawn candidate bids
Anto Đapić withdrew on 5 December, endorsing Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.[12]
Ivan Rude, lawyer who handled pre-bankruptcy settlements at several large companies and candidate of the non-parliamentary Voice of Reason party, running on left-wing populist and worker's rights platform. Withdrew on 6 December after failing to collect 10,000 signatures required to formally submit his bid.[14]
First round candidates
Candidates seeking nomination first had to submit a minimum of 10,000 citizens' signatures to the State Electoral Commission (Državno izborno povjerenstvo or DIP) in order for their candidacy to be formally accepted. The signatures had to be collected in a period of five days, from 2 to 6 December. The deadline for submissions was midnight, 6 December, with most candidates submitting a much larger number of signatures as a show of support. Following the submissions, DIP will have two days to check the validity of signatures, and is expected to announce a final list of candidates by midnight on 8 December. On 9 December the campaign will officially start, and will last for 18 days until 26 December, Boxing Day.
Incumbent, stands for re-election after completing his first term. Although formally independent, he is supported by 16 other centre-left and liberal parties. Running on a centre-left platform focusing on the proposed constitutional reform which would proclaim the Second Republic of Croatia. His focus is also on fight against corruption and fight against right-wing populism.[15]
Submitted some 203,875 signatures on 6 December.[16]
Candidate of the biggest opposition party, the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and supported by 7 other centre-right. Former foreign minister in the Cabinet of Ivo Sanader I (2003–05).
Submitted some 328,683 signatures on 6 December.[17]
Founder and president of the right-wing populist Croatian Dawn (HZ) non-parliamentary party, formed in July 2013 as a splinter party of HDZ, following Kujundžić's defeat in internal party elections. Also supported by 6 other right-wing and nationalist parties. Running on a right-wing populist platform.
Submitted some 50,000 signatures on 5 December.[18]
Nominated by an activist organization called Živi Zid (Human Blockade) which fights forced home evictions by organising human shields, and which was registered as a political party in July 2011. Running on an eurosceptic populist platform.
Submitted some 15,200 signatures on 6 December.[19]
Ivan Bavčević submitted 800 signatures to the electoral commission on December 6 and was rejected.
Ratko Dobrović submitted no signatures to the electoral commission claiming that they are "blank signatures".
Slobodan Midžić not submitted signatures on the prescribed form. Instead he offered a CD on which, as he claims, is about 500 thousand signatures. He is form Velika Kladuša (B-H). [20] Madžić had also failed to nominate himself for 2009 presidential election.