Croat president wins re-election

Mesic now has the chance to take Croatia into the EU

Croatian President Stipe Mesic has easily won a second five-year term in office, after an easy victory in the second and final round of voting.

Mr Mesic won 66% of the vote, with Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor trailing on 34%.

"I am proud of the maturity of Croatia's democracy," said Mr Mesic.

He hopes to take Croatia into the European Union before the end of the decade, and negotiations with Brussels are due to begin in March.

"The world can see that and that's why we're standing at the doorsteps of Europe," said the president, after his re-election was confirmed by the State Election Commission.

Mr Mesic, 70, an independent, narrowly missed an outright victory in the first round, winning just under 50% of votes.

Backed by a coalition of centre-left parties, he had been the front-runner throughout the campaign.

He is well known on the international diplomatic scene, a former prime minister and the last president of the former Yugoslavia before it broke up.

Ms Kosor comes from the governing right-of-centre HDZ party.

She won only a disappointing 20% of the vote in the first round and her campaign was marred by allegations of vote rigging.