New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to resign next month
FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, July 7, 2022. Dean Lewins/Pool via REUTERS
WELLINGTON: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will not seek re-election and plans to stand down no later than early February, she said in a televised statement on Thursday (Jan 19).
A general election would be held on Oct 14, she added.
"While I won’t be contesting the election, I know the issues that impact New Zealanders most will remain the focus of the government through this year and into the election," she said.
Ardern said she still believed that her Labour Party would win the upcoming election.
"For me it's time," she told party members. "I just don't have enough in the tank for another four years."
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