Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will not seek re-election and plans to step down no later than early February, he said in a televised statement on Thursday. He said that the general elections would be held on October 14.
“This summer, I hoped to find a way to prepare for not only another year, but another term – because that’s what this year required,” said an emotional Ardern during the statement. “I am not able to do this.”
Ardern’s term will expire on February 7.
Ardern said she was confident the New Zealand Labor Party would win the upcoming election and said a vote would be held on Sunday to choose the next Labor leader.
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement that he would not seek to stand as the next Labor leader.