New Zealand recorded one of its tightest races in a general election on Saturday, with the preliminary count unable to show if the ruling coalition retains control.
By Sunday morning, the tally resulted in the center-right National Party, headed by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, getting 29.21 percent of votes, against 29.36 percent garnered by the main opposition Labour Party, according to the country's Electoral Commission.
Luxon has been heading the three-party ruling coalition, which also includes ACT New Zealand and the New Zealand First party. The latest count projected the three parties together holding 67 out of 131 parliamentary seats, the commission said.
Coalitions are common under New Zealand's electoral system, with left-leaning parties such as Labour aiming to make the National Party coalition the first one-term government in about five decades.
The Labour Party took 36 projected seats, adding to the 16 seats by its Green Party ally and the five seats by indigenous rights-based Te Pati Maori for a total of 57 seats in the latest preliminary count.
The figures mean there is no clear winner, with none of the party leaders prepared to concede, according to public broadcaster Radio New Zealand.
On Sunday, RNZ quoted Luxon, whose party took up a projected 42 seats, as saying it had performed well amid challenging issues such as the pressure of high fuel prices.
"Ultimately, we've got the most seats in Parliament, and ultimately, we've been given a pathway to government," Luxon told reporters.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said late on Saturday, "As things stand tonight, it's clear that we're not going to know the exact shape of our next government for a little while longer yet.
"But there are some things that are clear from tonight results; our next Parliament is going to require all of us to compromise, to work together and to find common ground," he was quoted by RNZ as saying.
Nearly 3.8 million people had enrolled to vote in the election, making up 93.6 percent of the estimated eligible population, with voter turnout at about 74.6 percent by Saturday afternoon, according to the Electoral Commission, which aims to publish the official results on Nov 27.
Cost of living, healthcare and fuel prices had topped voters' concerns in the run-up to the polls, reported RNZ, citing a major survey, with the Labour Party extending its lead over the National Party in the major issues that also included the economy and unemployment.
