Just after the election: New Zealand’s National Party required support from other parties to form gov’t

According to the Electoral Commission, the conservative National Party secured 48 seats, and the right-wing ACT won 11 seats, giving them a combined total of 59 seats in the 122-seat parliament.

In a report from Reuters, New Zealand First's eight seats would provide the three parties with a majority. Additionally, the Commission reported that the Labor Party of New Zealand obtained 34 seats, the Green Party secured 15 seats, and Te Pati Maori won six seats.

Christopher Luxon, the Prime Minister-elect of New Zealand, stated during a press conference that the outcome was largely as expected, and his party had been in discussions with both ACT and NZ First since the election. He emphasized that there was goodwill and good faith among all three political party leaders to navigate the negotiation process constructively and promptly.

Although the Labour Party acknowledged defeat in the election, right-wing parties were awaiting the final vote count before finalizing coalition agreements and forming a new government.

However, Luxon said on Thursday he could not guarantee when a government might be formed.

"I just genuinely can't, because there is complexity in arrangements that we need to work through," Luxon said. "We are working with the greatest speed."

In the initial count last month, National and ACT could have formed a government as they held a combined 61 seats. However, the National Party lost two seats in the final count, reducing their majority.

Furthermore, the total number of parliamentary seats increased from 121 to 122 because Te Pati Maori won more electorate seats than they would have received from their share of the party vote. Several seats are expected to undergo recounts, including one won by Te Pati Maori with a margin of just four votes.

The final vote count includes approximately 603,000 special votes, constituting around 21% of the total, including those from overseas voters or individuals who cast their ballots outside their electoral constituency, which were not included in the initial tally.

Prime Minister-elect Luxon noted that he couldn't guarantee when a government might be formed, citing the complexity of the arrangements that need to be worked through. He emphasized that they were working with utmost speed.

According to the law, New Zealand's parliament must convene within six weeks of the official election results, but there is no set deadline for the formation of a government. David Seymour, ACT leader, expressed his hope that the negotiations would conclude within a matter of days or in less than a week during a media conference.