Political Parties
The formation of political parties is free.
The internal organisation of political parties must conform to the basic constitutional democratic principles.
Parties must publicly account for the origin of its funds and properties. Political parties who with their program or violent activity tend towards undermining the democratic constitutional order or threaten the survival of the Republic of Croatia are non-constitutional. The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia decides on the non-constitutionality of a political party.
The position and financing of political parties is regulated by law.
Electoral System
Electoral Law was passed on 18 September 1995.
Constituencies:
- 10 constituencies in the area of the Republic of Croatia - 140 members
- 1 national constituency - members of the autochthonous national minorities elect 5 members
- 1 special constituency providing (an unfixed number of) members
elected by Croatian citizens non-resident in the Republic of Croatia
Voting System:
- 140 are elected from 10 constituencies making up the territory of the Republic of Croatia, each constituency providing 14 MPs chosen from party lists. The number of members chosen from each constituency list is established by the d'Hondt method. Any list winning less than 5% of the votes is excluded from the distribution of these seats.
- 6 are chosen in a special constituency by Croatians residing abroad, by proportional representation, by means of an unfixed quota establishing the number of MPs to be elected in that constituency.
- 5 are elected by members of the authochthonous national minorities in the Republic of Croatia, in a special (national) constituency
An MP elected from a constituency list is substituted by a candidated from the same list who has not been elected, nominated by the political party that proposed the list.
An MP elected from the list of Independents in a constituency is substituted by the next candidate on the same list who has not been elected.
An MP chosedn in the constituency for the election of MPs representing the autochthonous national minorities is substituted by another MP elected in the same constituency.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by substitutes elected at the same time as titular members.
Voting is not compulsory.
Voter requirements:
- age: 18 years
- Croatian citizenship
Incompatibilities:
- judges of the Constitutional Court
- officials in the judiciary
- Ambassadors and Consuls General
- State and local government officials
- active officer in the Armed Forces
- members of the Bord of companies or institutions whose majority owner is the State.
Candidacy requirements:
- nomination by registered political parties or electors, either individually or jointly
- prescribed number of signatures by supporting voters is required: in cases of nomination by individuals, 400 by non-party candidates in single-member districts, 5000 for state lists, 500 for special lists; voters can only support one non-party candidate, one state list or one special list. Nomination by political parties takes place according to their statutes. All signatures must be collected within 14 days of the elections announcement.
