New Zealand’s general election remains too close to call, with both major parties currently neck-and-neck at 29.21% and 29.36%.
The vote had been dubbed the “battle of the Chrises,” with incumbent Christopher Luxon of the center-right National Party, and leader of the opposition center-left Labour Party Chris Hipkins, competing to become prime minister.
Hundreds of thousands of “special votes” — including from those casting ballots from overseas – are still to be counted and could be decisive in determining which party is able to form a path to government.
A significant number of voters have supported minor parties, including Opportunity, a centrist party led by Qiulae Wong, a Fiji-born former consultant who only entered politics a year ago after seeing an ad seeking applicants to head the party.
Hipkins said Saturday: “Tonight, New Zealand has spoken. It may take us a little bit longer to figure out exactly what it is that you’ve said.”
Luxon told supporters it appeared they would be the largest party in Parliament, but the final results were still “too close to call.”
He congratulated his rivals on a “hard-fought race,” and admonished a supporter who appeared to boo, saying: “We don’t do that here – it’s not the Kiwi way.”
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