New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark clinched a historic second term at elections yesterday, buoyed by a strong economy that helped her South Pacific country to sail largely unscathed through the global slump.
"I am pleased to say that I will be able to form a Labor-led government for a second term," a beaming Clark said to roars from supporters in her northern stronghold of Auckland.
"I am confident that tonight's result delivers New Zealand another stable, progressive government and we need that in today's uncertain world," added Clark, who was wearing a trouser suit and was draped in flower necklaces by supporters.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Gains by small parties mean Clark will try to form a minority coalition government with the left-leaning Progressive Coalition.
With 99 percent of the vote counted, Labor had 52 seats in the 120-seat Parliament, up three from the last election. The Progressive Coalition was expected to win just two seats.
Clark, a 52-year-old former political science university lecturer, is the first New Zealand woman to win back-to-back elections.
The opposition National Party also created history -- slumping to its worst result ever by dropping 12 seats to hold just 27.
"I have ... just a few minutes ago spoken to Helen Clark," Nationals leader Bill English said. "There is a high likelihood of a center-left government and as leader of Labor with the largest vote she now goes to try to form that government. I have wished her well."
He vowed to stay in the job to rebuild his devastated party.
Earlier, Clark looked relaxed and confident as she cast her vote at an Auckland primary school.
She had hoped to win enough seats to form a majority alone but fell well short.
She will now seek support of the Green Party to ensure her minority government can remain in power for the three-year term.
However, the Greens have said they will withdraw their support from a Labor-led administration next October when a ban on the commercial use of genetically modified plants and livestock expires. The Greens, who won eight seats, want a permanent ban.
The ban "is not a difficult thing for Labor to agree to if it wants to remain the government. We will be talking this week, I'm sure," said Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons.
Clark has refused to extend the ban and believes she could rule on for a full three-year term even without the Greens.
She said that if and when the Greens withdrew their support, she expected support from the center-right United Future, which won nine seats.
With 99 percent of the vote counted, Labor had 41 percent, or 52 seats; the National Party had 21 percent, or 27 seats; the right-wing New Zealand First party had 11 percent for 13 seats; United Future had seven percent for nine seats; and the Green Party had six percent for eight seats. The Progressive Coalition was forecast to win two seats. The rightist ACT party had 7 percent for nine seats.
Clark said she would begin negotiations to form her new administration today -- after first celebrating her win with hundreds of jubilant supporters.
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