Miss Hawaiian Tropic Pageant Rigged

The first runner-up, Darija Zalovic, was later pronounced winner and will proceed to the world pageant. She also gets a car.

The owner of the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Croatia license, Rajko Hrvatic, claims that this year’s pageant was rigged and that the competition’s organiser had manipulated the number of ballots to rig the outcome, making it possible for Marijana Komerlin to win. Apparently the organiser and Marijana are in a love relationship. 

Hrvatic said that the first runner-up, Darija Zalovic, had 16 points more than Marijana. But, the organiser of the pageant, Zoran Stojicevic, pronounced his favourite – Marijana Komelin – as the winner.

Although the panel of judges consisted of 11 judges, there were 13 ballots.

-- There were 13 ballots because Sandi Cenov and Sinisa Glumicic were supposed to be in the panel of judges, but cancelled in the last minute. Concerning the mistake with the votes, it occurred because people tallied the votes wrongly, so for some 1+9 is 19 and for some 3+7 = 12!? – Stojicevic tried to justify for Javno.

Hrvatic says that there had been complications from the beginning. Miss Hawaiian Tropic should have been a pageant on a high level and Stojicevic promised that it would take place at the Sheraton. But, later he managed to convince Hrvatic that the The Best club would be a better choice.

I had my first shock when I saw that the pageant was taking place in a discotheque and later when I saw the winner. I immediately realised this was a scam so I demanded of Stojicevic to show me the ballots because other judges were also surprised how a girl for whom they did not vote could have won, says Hrvatic.

The drama continued when Stojicevic claimed that the host (who did not exist) had taken the ballots and he did not know where she was. After a while he returned with 13 ballots, even though there were only 11 judges.

-- When I looked at them I immediately realised the ballots were tampered with because the 12^th and 13^th ballot were filled out in the same, Stojicevic’s writing! I demanded that Darija be pronounced Miss, to which he replied that tensions should calm down and that this was not the right moment – Hrvatic adds.

On the other hand, Stojicevic told his version of the story as to why they did not react to the “mistake”. “We did not publicised the winner because, unfortunately, I do not know anybody from the media to launch that news for me”.

Darija Zalovic, the “true” Miss Hawaiian Tropic, briefly commented on the case: “I learnt about the mistake immediately after the pageant and I was pleased, although I was flattered to be the first runner-up”.

Rajko Hrvatic says he has been disgraced and will not stop at this.

The car Darija should be getting will be delivered to her next week. She will travel to Las Vegas in 17 days to compete in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic World pageant. The event will take place in the luxurious Mirage Hotel.

You can see the pictures fro the pageant in the