Croatia is to hold presidential election on December 27, the country’s government announced on Friday. If none of the candidates wins a majority, a run-off will take place two weeks later 10 January 2010.

The winner will replace President Stipe Mesic, who has served a maximum of two terms as the country's third president since Croatia gained independence in 1991.

The campaign for presidential elections formally begins on November 4. To run, a candidate must collect 15,000 signatures in Croatia, a country of 4.5 million inhabitants. Key issues will include the fight against corruption and Croatia's bid to join the European Union.

The first polls released yesterday (November 2) show that there are four favourite candidates.

The social-democrat Ivo Josipovic, law professor at the University of Zagreb, composer of classical music and deputy, is ranked first in the polls with 24.6%. At the second place, with 17.6% is Milan Bandic, the mayor of Zagreb, who still hasn’t officially announced his candidacy. The polls give third position and 13.1% to Nadan Vidosevic, president of the Croatian Chamber of Economy. Andrija Hebrang, Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) candidate who held several ministerial positions between 1990 and today is on fourth place with 11%.