New Zealand National and Labour parties tied at 29.4%
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on IOL
New Zealand’s two main parties, National and Labour, are tied at 29.4% of the vote after more than half the ballots were counted. Neither has secured an outright majority, as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon seeks to retain power, according to the New Zealand Electoral Commission.
The conservative National Party and New Zealand Labour Party were tied at 29.4% on Saturday, with more than half the votes counted. Neither of the two main parties had secured enough of a majority to govern alone, according to data from the New Zealand Electoral Commission reported by IOL.
The election comes amid a difficult economic context, marked by the high cost of basic goods and unemployment at its highest level in more than a decade. The global rise in fuel prices linked to the war in the Middle East is also weighing on the New Zealand economy, which is dependent on foreign trade, according to IOL.
Small parties are expected to play a role in forming the next government. The centrist Opportunity Party was notably above 5%, the threshold required to obtain seats in Parliament without winning a candidate in a constituency, according to early results reported by IOL.
New Zealand uses a mixed-member proportional electoral system in which voters cast ballots both for a party list and for a constituency candidate. Opportunity Party is led by Qiulae Wong, a former KPMG consultant who said she was ready to work with the party winning the most seats, IOL reports.
