New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to step down by February before fall election
Global News
Ardern said she still believed her party New Zealand Labour would win the upcoming election, which is set for Oct. 14, but with a new leader.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will not seek reelection and plans to stand down no later than early February, she said in a televised statement on Thursday.
A general election will be held on Oct. 14, she added.
“This summer, I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term – because that is what this year requires,” a visibly emotional Ardern said during the statement. “I have not been able to do that.”
Ardern’s term will conclude no later than Feb. 7.
Ardern said she believed her New Zealand Labour Party would still win the upcoming election and added that a vote to elect the next Labour leader would be held on Sunday.
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement he would not seek to stand as the next Labour leader.
Ardern has served two terms as prime minister and became a popular leader on the global stage.
Her response to the COVID-19 pandemic was praised by local and international politicians and health experts, helping her win reelection in a landslide victory in 2020.
