Wahlen: Regierung nach Wahl in Neuseeland knapp unter der absoluten Mehrheit

Wellington - Following New Zealand's parliamentary elections, the government coalition led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (56) appears to be just short of an absolute majority according to early results. As of Saturday, Luxon's conservative National Party and its partners had secured 65 of the 130 seats in Parliament, while the opposition Labour Party and its allies had together won 58 seats.

The Opportunity Party came close to the five-percent threshold and could potentially be the deciding vote. Approximately 3.8 million people were eligible to vote, and polling stations closed at 7 AM GMT. The counting began immediately afterward. A government majority requires at least 61 seats in the 120-seat Parliament. The election was overshadowed by partly severe weather, particularly affecting the Auckland metropolis on the North Island.

Due to the narrow margins, the seat distribution could still change. Around 95 percent of the votes were expected to be counted by Saturday evening. The final result was expected on November 27. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of special votes, including those from New Zealanders overseas and voters who cast ballots outside their designated electoral district, will be counted in the coming weeks.