AUCKLAND (NZ Punjabi News Service):
Bagging 49.1% votes and 64 seats, New Zealand’s centre-left Labour Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, will be first party to form government alone since MMP was introduced in 1996.
Opposition’s centre-right National Party won 26.8% votes with just 35 seats in 120 seat house. The election held on Saturday, was originally to be held in September but was postponed due to e-emergence of COVID – 19 in the country.
Ardern said the next government will be formed within the next few weeks. “Work on forming the next government has begun today, and I have met with senior members of team to work through a timetable to form government,” she said.
She said there was a clear mandate to form a government before the results were finalised and she had spoken to the governor general to confirm she is able to form a government.
"We anticipated ... perhaps having that number of list MPs, what's interesting is we've had a number of seats turn."
Ardern said she thought last night's vote was a vote of confidence in Labour's COVID plan and recovery.
Ardern said there was nothing further to report on contact with the Greens and the Labour Caucus will meet tomorrow.
"I have said that I want to talk with the Greens and we will do that next week."
She has not been in contact with the Maori Party. But she said Labour did have the mandate to form a government alone.