Chris Hipkins, who replaced Jacina Ardern, needs to worry about his job. Smaller parties could decide what government majority would be possible.
There is a high turnout in general elections in New Zealand. Long queues had already formed outside many of the country’s 2,300 polling stations in the morning, Radio New Zealand reported on Saturday afternoon (local time). Until recently, the conservative National Party, with its main candidate, Christopher Luxon (53), who wants to return to power after six years in opposition, was ahead in the polls.
The social democratic Labor Party has been in power since 2017 and since January this year with Chris Hipkins (45) as prime minister, after his world-famous predecessor Jacinda Ardern surprisingly resigned from the post.
A fierce dispute is expected. Smaller parties are likely to be decisive in forming a government, including the populist and nationalist New Zealand First, with its leader Winston Peters, who served several times as deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the Pacific state.
Voting has been possible for two weeks
Around 3.8 million citizens were called to the polls. Voting has been possible since October 2 and around a million people took advantage of this offer before election day.
Polling stations are open until 7pm local time (9am Austrian time). If there are still queues at this time, they may remain open for longer, the electoral commission announced. Preliminary results are expected overnight.
To form a government, at least 61 of the 120 seats in parliament are needed. If the result is very close, as expected, it could take weeks before a government is formed.