[ad_1]
In the New Zealand parliamentary elections, a clear victory is in sight for the current Labor Party under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. After counting more than 50 percent of the votes, the party even won an absolute majority of 65 out of 120 seats.
If this is confirmed, Labor could continue to rule without a coalition with the Greens. The “Green Party” also posted gains. A commentator on New Zealand television spoke of a “considerable shift to the left.” Ardern, 40, is expected to have achieved the highest electoral victory to date under the current electoral system, the “New Zealand Herald” newspaper wrote.
Ardern’s fiercest opponent in the election was Judith Collins of the conservative National Party, who has posted significant losses and, according to preliminary results, only holds about 35 seats. The opposition recognized the victory of the ruling party. Collins congratulated Ardern on New Zealand television and spoke of an “outstanding” result for the Labor Party.
Ardern has ruled a coalition of Labor, the Greens and the small populist First New Zealand party, which is known for its anti-immigrant positions. Three years ago, the party had tipped the balance and, surprisingly, brought Ardern to power. Now she clearly lost.
More than half of the roughly 3.5 million eligible voters have already cast their ballots before Saturday’s parliamentary elections. As of Friday, nearly two million ballots had been received, the electoral commission said. Eligible voters also voted in two referendums on the legalization of cannabis as a recreational drug and the legalization of euthanasia. The results of these surveys will not be published until the end of October.
Politician Ardern, also known abroad for her successful crisis management, has held the post since 2017. She has received much recognition primarily for her handling of the Christchurch attacks, in which a right-wing extremist from Australia shot 51 Muslims on last year, and for his successful fight against the corona pandemic.
So far, the Pacific state has weathered the pandemic relatively lightly, recently declaring for the second time that it had the virus under control. With a population of around five million, New Zealand has only recorded 25 deaths related to the new virus to date. Meanwhile, the country has largely returned to normalcy.
