New Zealand's general election produced no clear winner, with preliminary results showing National as the largest party and coalition negotiations expected before official results are released on 27 November.
New Zealand's general election on Saturday produced no clear winner, with preliminary results showing the centre-right National Party as the largest party in parliament. Coalition talks are expected before the official result is announced on 27 November.
According to the BBC, National won 42 seats, while Labour won 36 seats. The Guardian reports National secured 42 seats, ACT 13 and New Zealand First 12, giving the right bloc a combined 67 seats. The Guardian states Labour secured 35 seats, while the Greens won 16 and Te Pāti Māori five, with Opportunity winning seven seats, leaving the left bloc three seats short of forming a government.
The Guardian notes that if all overhang seats are included, there could be 130 seats in the next parliament, a record under MMP, meaning 65 seats are needed to form a coalition.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the results were "too close to call" and that special votes would need to be counted before negotiations could begin. He said National had "a pathway to forming the next government".
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the "shape of the next government" will remain uncertain "for a while". He added: "It may take a bit longer to work out what they've said".
Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong said her party would work with either side and would negotiate first with the party that secures the most seats. Speaking at her party's watch party, she said: "We believe that we can change the way we do politics to focus on the future, on the next generation, and on finding common ground."
Special votes, which include overseas votes and ballots cast outside a voter's electorate, have yet to be counted. The Guardian states that in 2023, 600,000 special votes were made, representing 21% of the total. The electoral commission was not due to announce the official result until 27 November, according to the BBC.
New Zealand's mixed-member proportional voting system means most governments are coalitions. With no party holding a majority and special votes still to be processed, the final composition of parliament and the shape of the next government remain uncertain for weeks.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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