Crisis Phase (April 27, 1992-February 18, 2000): Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) recognized the independence of Croatia on April 27, 1992. President Franjo Tudjman was re-elected with some 57 percent of the vote on August 2, 1992. Parliamentary elections were held on August 2, 1992, and the Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska Demokrattska Zajednica-HDZ) won 85 out of 138 seats in the House of Representatives. The Council of Europe (COE) Parliamentary Assembly sent observers to monitor the elections. Parliamentary elections were held on October 29, 1995, and the HDZ won 75 out of 127 seats in the House of Representatives. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) established an election observation mission consisting of observers from 14 countries to monitor the parliamentary elections from October 16-29, 1995. Croatia joined the COE on November 6, 1996. Parliamentary and local elections were held on April 13-14, 1997, and the HDZ won 41 out of 63 seats in the House of Counties (upper chamber of the parliament). The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission consisting of 22 long-term observers and 132 short-term observers from 25 countries to monitor the parliamentary and local elections from February 15 to April 14, 1997. The European Union (EU) sent 60 observers from the European Community Monitoring Mission (ECMM) to monitor the elections. The COE Parliamentary Assembly and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRA) sent 16 election observers from 12 countries headed by Gunnar Jansson of Finland and Leon Kieres of Poland to monitor the elections on April 12-15, 1997. Franjo Tudjman was re-elected as president with some 61 percent of the vote on June 15, 1997, and he was inaugurated as president on August 5, 1997. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission consisting of 104 observers headed by Paul Simon of the US and Kare Vollan of Norway to monitor the elections from May 15 to June 16, 1997. On June 16, 1997, the OSCE/ODIHR mission reported that the elections were “free but not fair.” Vlatko Pavletic, speaker of the parliament, was appointed by the Constitutional Court as interim president on November 26, 1999 (President Tudjman underwent cancer surgery on November 1, 1999). President Tudjman died in Zagreb on December 10, 1999. Parliamentary elections were held on January 2-3, 2000, and the Social Democratic Party/Croatian Social Liberal Party (SDP/HSLS) won 71 out of 151 seats in the House of Representatives. The HDZ won 46 seats in the House of Representatives. The COE Parliamentary Assembly sent nine observers from nine countries headed by Daniel Goulet of France to monitor the parliamentary elections from January 1-5, 2000. The International Republican Institute (IRI) sent 25 observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. The British Helsinki Human Rights Goup (BHHRG) sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. Stjepan Mesic was elected president on February 7, 2000, and he was inaugurated as president on February 18, 2000. The COE Parliamentary Assembly sent three observers headed by Daniel Goulet of France to monitor the first round of the presidential elections from January 23-25, 2000. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission consisting of 14 long-term observers and 300 short-term observers from 28 countries headed by Helle Degn of Denmark to monitor the elections beginning on November 23, 1999.
Post-Crisis Phase (February 19, 2000-present): The OSCE/ODIHR issued its final report of the presidential elections on May 31, 2000. Local elections were held on May 20, 2001. The OSCE/ODIHR sent 130 observers headed by Mark Stevens to monitor the local elections from April 18 to May 21, 2001. The COE CLRA sent four observers from four countries to monitor the local elections on May 17-22, 2001. Prime Minister Ivica Racan resigned on July 5, 2002. Parliamentary elections were held on November 23 2003, and the HDZ won 66 out of 151 seats in the parliament. The OSCE/ODIHR sent 19 long-term observers headed by Ian Mitchell of Canada to monitor the parliamentary elections from October 29 to November 24, 2003. Ivo Sanader of the HDZ formed a government as prime minister on December 23, 2003. Presidential elections were held on January 2 and 16, 2005, and Stjepan Mesic of the SDP was elected president in the second round with 66 percent of the vote.
[Sources: Associated Press (AP), November 26, 1999, December 11, 1999, January 25, 2000, February 18, 2000; Banks and Muller, 1998, 232-237; Beigbeder, 1994, 251; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), January 23, 2000, January 25, 2000, February 8, 2000; Council of Europe (COE) press release, April 1, 1997, April 10, 1997, April 14, 1997, April 15, 1997, December 22, 1999, January 5, 2000, January 20, 2000, January 27, 2000, May 15, 2001, May 21, 2001; Keesing’s Record of World Events, August 1992, June 1997; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) newsletter, October 1995, April 1997, June 1998; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA)/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) press release, November 23, 1999, December 20, 1999, January 4, 2000, January 24, 2000, February 8, 2000, April 27, 2001, May 16, 2001, October 29, 2003, November 24, 2003; OSCE/ODIHR report, May 31, 2000; OSCE/ODIHR statement, November 24, 2003; Reuters, January 3, 2000, January 4, 2000, July 5, 2002; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), April 11, 1997, April 15, 1997, June 16, 1997, August 7, 1997, July 5, 2002; UN Chronicle, 1998 (no.1); United Nations Security Council (UNSC) press release, December 19, 1997.]