Two-day election silence begins in Croatia

(Patria) - After months of unofficial and 16 and a half days of official campaigning, during which political parties and candidates tried to convince voters that they should be given a 'ticket' to the Croatian Parliament in the elections on Wednesday, April 17, a two-day election silence began in Croatia at midnight.

The election silence will last until Wednesday at 7 p.m., i.e., until the closing of around 6,500 polling stations that will be open that day in Croatia.

Until then, all election campaigning is prohibited, as is the publication of election result estimates and preliminary, unofficial election results, the publication of photographs in the media, statements and interviews with candidates, and the quoting of their statements or written works.

The law does not prescribe fines for violating the election silence, but the State Election Commission (DIP), as in previous elections, calls on all election participants and other legal and natural persons to respect the silence.

This time, the list of those called upon has been expanded to include other direct or indirect participants in election campaigning.

It calls on all of them not to present election programs, publish promotional messages and photographs of candidates in the media, not to put up new posters, distribute leaflets, call for votes for specific candidates, not to telephone, send SMS messages or emails to voters, and not to post new promotional content on social networks.

The DIP reminds the media and media publishers that they too have their share of responsibility in respecting the election silence.

It calls on them not to broadcast any press conferences, public events or public addresses by election participants, or other direct or indirect participants in the campaign, regardless of whether the topic is directly related to the election campaign or any other topic.

Tuesday is the first of two election days abroad, i.e., in the 11th electoral district, where three of the 151 parliamentary seats are elected, and in Croatia it is a day for final preparations for election Wednesday.

Election material will be delivered to polling boards, and in the evening polling stations will be set up to be ready for Wednesday morning and the first voters.

Since a large number of polling stations are located in schools, the relevant ministry has called on primary and secondary schools to finish classes by 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday so that polling boards can prepare the school premises for voting.