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National Party wins New Zealand general elections
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-08 20:29 WELLINGTON - As the outgoing Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that she was standing down as Labor leader, the National leader John Key won a decisive victory in the New Zealand's general elections on Saturday.
The National Party will be able to form a new government, in a coalition with New Zealand ACT party and United Future party. The National Party secured 45.5 percent of the party vote to Labor's 33.8 percent. The results give National 59 seats, five seats for its planned coalition partner ACT and one seat for United Future which had already pledged its support. Labor leader Helen Clark congratulated Key in a speech to supporters at the Labor Party headquarters in Auckland. Clark said she accepted the choice the public had made, and accepted responsibility for the election result. And in an announcement, she said she was standing down and expected Labor colleagues to elect a new leader before Christmas. Clark earlier telephoned National Party leader and Prime Minister-elect John Key to concede the defeat. John Key addressed hundreds of his party faithful in Auckland on Saturday night, telling them there will be a new National-led government. The incoming Prime Minister said the result shows New Zealanders have spoken in their hundreds of thousands and called for change. He said New Zealand had voted for a safer, more prosperous and ambitious New Zealand. Key said he is looking forward to leading the country, despite the challenges it faces. Labor would have 43 seats, the Green Party eight seats, the Maori Party five and United Future and Progressive one each. Nearly 3 million eligible voters cast their ballots at 2,700 polling stations across the New Zealand on Saturday. |
