MOSCOW, September 20 (RIA Novosti) - The prime minister of New Zealand John Key is set to take office for the third time following the victory of the National Party in the country’s general election, The Associated Press reported Sunday.
“Only National can deliver another strong, stable Government that will keep New Zealand in the right direction,” Key addressed the New Zealand electorate through his Facebook page prior to the election.
According to AP, most votes have already been handled, with the National Party leading by 54 percent so far. The opposition in the name of the Labor Party has secured only 25 percent of the votes.
David Cunliffe, the leader of the Labor Party, called his counterpart to offer him congratulations on the victory, AP stated.
AP suggested the victory will come as an endorsement of Key’s government’s efforts in handling the country’s economy.
Under New Zealand’s proportional representation voting system, to govern for the three-year terms, parties must form a coalition. According to AP, Key has already options in place, whereas BBC News reported Sunday that Key might be able to do without a coalition.
Key first became Prime Minister in 2008, followed by a second victory in the 2011 election.
Key’s election victory comes amid reports that New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) spies on the country’s population by collecting personal information through the XKEYSCORE program – something first voiced by the whistleblower Edward Snowden mid-September. Key, however, declined any such surveillance by saying that the department only protects public and private entities against cyber security activities.
