New Zealand election too close to call as coalition talks loom
National is expected to be the largest party, but no bloc has a clear majority and final shape of government could take weeks.
Key facts
Story- Preliminary results show New Zealand's general election has no clear winner, with no bloc securing a majority.
- National, led by Christopher Luxon, is the largest party and says it has a pathway to form government.
- Coalition talks could take weeks before the shape of the next government is settled.
New Zealand could face weeks of uncertainty before it knows who will govern, after a tight general election failed to produce a decisive winner. Preliminary results left neither the incumbent right-leaning coalition nor the opposition left bloc with a clear majority in parliament.
On the preliminary count, the National party is set to be the largest party in parliament. Prime minister Christopher Luxon said the result was "too close to call" and that he sees a route to forming the next government. National could govern with its two usual coalition partners, the libertarian ACT party and the populist New Zealand First party.
Polls had pointed to a close race, and forecasts showed no coalition was likely to win a majority of seats. Minor parties were widely expected to decide who governs. Labour leader Chris Hipkins was contesting his Remutaka seat, which he has held since 2008, and his party held an election night event in the Upper Hutt Cosmopolitan Club.
The final result depends on how the remaining votes are counted and on how the parties negotiate after the preliminary figures. Coalition talks are likely to follow, and these could take weeks. Until the count is complete and parties agree on terms, the shape of the next government will not be clear.
It is not yet known when the final result will be declared, or which party will lead the next government. The new government's policy direction and timetable have not been set.
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