Victory for Josipovic

Ivo Josipovic, a 52-year-old law expert and classical music composer, won yesterday's runoff presidential vote in Croatia, beating popular Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic.

The state-run Electoral Commission said Social Democrat Josipovic had 60.29 per cent of the vote against 39.71 per cent for Bandic, with 99.6 per cent of the vote counted.

In Croatia, the Cabinet and Parliament are key decision-makers, but the President is the supreme Army commander, co-creator of foreign policy and hires and fires chiefs of intelligence services.