National party will be largest in parliament but ultimate shape of next government won’t be settled for some time

New Zealand could be facing a weeks-long wait to know the shape of its next government, after its nail-biting election failed to hand a decisive victory to either the incumbent rightwing coalition or opposition left bloc.

On preliminary results, the centre-right National party, led by the prime minister, Christopher Luxon, managed to secure enough seats to govern alongside its traditional coalition partners, the libertarian Act and populist New Zealand First parties.

Polls show no coalition is expected to secure a majority of seats, in one of the closest elections in recent history

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Another update here with 8% of the vote counted.

National on 31.2%, Labour 28.4%, the Greens 12.9%, Act 11.2%, NZ First 9.6%, Opportunity 5.7% and Te Pāti Māori 0.4%.

On these numbers, we would have a right bloc coalition back in power. Long way to go.