Local elections held in Croatia

Croatians went to the polls on Sunday to decide their representatives for the next four years in 576 units of local government. 

Voters chose city mayors, municipal mayors, city and municipal councilors and county prefects from among more than 31,000 candidates.

"People always complain after the fact. But now is their chance to vote," said one woman in Varaždin earlier in the day.

"You have to vote. It's for yourself. It's not for anybody else. You reap what you sow!," said another in Vukovar.

Many voiced the sentiment that people have no right to complain over the next four years if they don't vote.

One man in Zadar said it was "the chance for the common man to impact politics."

A woman in Krapina said local elections hold even more importance since they have a real impact on people's everyday lives. "We get what we vote for," she added.

As for the country's four largest cities, no mayor was elected outright in Zagreb, Split and Rijeka. Therefore, all three races will be decided in a run-off election in two weeks' time.

Meanwhile, the incumbent Mayor of Osijek, Ivan Radić of the HDZ, won a second mandate in a first-round landslide.

"First of all, thanks to all the people of Osijek who went out and voted. It was a big win. We received more than 70 percent support from voters - which is something that nobody had ever accomplished before. Receiving a mandate to govern a city is a great responsibility. Now it's up to us to continue what we've been doing the past four years and build up Osijek even further. 'Forward Osijek' wasn't just a campaign slogan, it's what we've been doing for four years," said Radić shortly after initial results.

Final election results from the first round are expected later on Monday.