World18 October 20202 min read

New Zealand's Ardern to form government

Reuters After a thumping election win, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Sunday that she would form a government within three weeks but declined to say whether she would rule alone or form a coalition, reported Reuters Ardern on Saturday delivered the biggest el

Editorial Team Legacy

Published 18 October 2020, 8:00 · Updated 21:42

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Reuters

After a thumping election win, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Sunday that she would form a government within three weeks but declined to say whether she would rule alone or form a coalition, reported Reuters

Ardern on Saturday delivered the biggest election victory for her centre-left Labour Party in half a century. Her new majority in parliament will allow her to form the first single-party government since New Zealand adopted a proportional voting system in 1996.

“Whilst there will be another three weeks before we have that final result, my expectation is that we will work on the government formation within that frame,” Ardern told a news conference.

Labour won 64 of the 120 seats in the country’s unicameral parliament.

For the last three years, Ardern was in a coalition with the Green Party and the nationalist New Zealand First party. Although she no longer needs support, coalitions are the norm in New Zealand as parties look to build consensus.

“I have been a consensus builder but I also need to work with the mandate that Labour has been given as well,” Ardern said.

New Zealand's Ardern to form government

Editorial Team Legacy

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