New Zealand’s Ardern says will form government in 2-3 weeks
7582 Mins Read
New Zealand’s ruling Labour party leader Jacinda Ardern said on Sunday that she would form a government within two to three weeks but did not comment on a possible coalition deal with the Green Party.
Ardern, who was handed a resounding victory in a general election on Saturday, said she had informed the country’s governor general, Dame Patsy Reddy, that her party had the ability to form the next government.
Ardern also said there was no need to bring in any new COVID-19 restrictions after one new case of community transmission was reported in the country.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks at the New Zealand Labour party election night event in Auckland, New Zealand, 17 October 2020. Jacinda Ardern has won a second term in New Zealand’s general election. EPA-EFE/DAVID ROWLAND
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.
“I have said to the Greens that I would talk to them next week,” she said. “I don’t want to draw any conclusion at this point.”
The Greens returned with a bigger mandate of 7.6% of the vote, but NZ First, led by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, did not gather enough support to return to parliament.
The Maori Party, representing the indigenous community which is about 15% of the population, made a comeback to parliament.
The resounding victory is a yes vote for Ardern’s progressive, democratic governance and for her leadership in crushing COVID-19 in the country, as well as her handling of a massacre of 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques and a fatal volcano eruption.
Ardern, 40, burnished her reputation this year with her “go hard, go early” approach to COVID-19, which had all but eliminated the coronavirus in the country, until a new case was reported on Sunday.
New Zealand has had just 25 deaths and around 1,500 infections. In the new case, health officials said the infected person was identified early and risk of transmission was contained.
Ardern retains a solid international following with her promotion of issues including woman’s rights, social justice, and multilateralism.
Still, there has been criticism of her economic policies, and a looming summer season with no international tourists will be a major test.
