Wellington [New Zealand], November 8: New Zealand voters face a wait for results in a nail-biting election on Saturday, with the preliminary count too close to call.
For the second election in a row, two Chrises are vying for position of prime minister, with incumbent Christopher Luxon of National up against Chris Hipkins, of Labour.
With 95% of the vote counted, about 3,500 votes separate National and Labour. Luxon said National had a pathway to form the next government.
"It is heartening to see that on the numbers so far, National is once again the largest party in Parliament," he said.
"But I have to tell you right now it is too close to call." He said that after the final results were tallied, coalition talks could start.
"Negotiations and compromises are going to be required," he said.
Hipkins said it was clear the country was not going to know the exact shape of the next government for a little while.
"Tonight, New Zealand has spoken. It may take us a little bit longer to figure out exactly what it is that you've said. Every vote matters, and every vote must now be counted." Hipkins said there were some things that were clear from the results.
"Our next parliament is going to require all of us to compromise, to work together, and to find common ground." Parliament to grow but count continues Based on the preliminary results, the parliament will be increased to 130 seats, as National and Te Pāti Māori won more electorate seats than their shares of the party vote. It would be the largest parliament in New Zealand history.
Normally, to form a government, a party or coalition needs at least 61 of the parliament's 120 seats. On the preliminary results, a majority of 66 seats is now needed.
The right-wing grouping of National, ACT and New Zealand First hold a razor-thin majority with 67 seats.
The left-wing grouping of Labour, Te Pāti Māori (Maori Party) and the Greens hold 56 seats.
A number of votes, including those cast from people overseas, will be counted over the next three weeks. Special votes, which tend to benefit the left-leaning parties, have shifted preliminary election results in the last three elections.
In the last election in 2023, just over 20% of votes were special votes.
The final vote count will be declared on November 27, with any needed coalition talks potentially continuing beyond that.
The Opportunity Party, led by Qiulae Wong, could be a key player in the country's next parliament. However, Luxon has repeatedly ruled out working with centrist Opportunity, which has never won a seat in parliament since it was founded in 2017.
Source: Qatar Tribune