For the second time in less than a year, Croatia is voting to choose a new government in a snap election Sunday. 

Exit polls predict a close outcome between candidates, possibly resulting in a new parliament that some say could be another barely-functioning government. 

Poling stations opened early Sunday morning. Initial results are expected late in the day.

The news of the snap vote for the European Union’s newest member came a day after parliament was formally dissolved and less than a year after the last vote.

Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic’s center-right coalition government collapsed because of bickering between the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party and its junior reformist partner MOST.

The political deadlock has stalled economic reform for Croatia’s economy, one of the weakest in the EU bloc.

Opinion polls indicate the Social Democrat-led four-party alliance will win at least 60 of 151 seats, but the conservative HDZ will still be just a few seats behind. Analysts say none of the parties will win enough votes to rule alone. 

Nearly four million people are eligible to vote in Croatia. 

Some material for this report came from AFP and Reuters. [Read More]

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Source: VOA News: Economy and Finance