Jan. 19 () –
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, announced early Thursday her resignation as head of government, calling elections for October 14.
This was announced by the president during a press conference, detailing that she will be in the position until next February 7, when the Labor Party she leads finds a new person to fill the post of prime minister, reported ‘NZ Herald’.
“Having such a privileged role entails a responsibility, including the responsibility of knowing when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not,” he justified, detailing that it was a decision that he had been reflecting on since the summer.
“I have given my all to be Prime Minister, but it has also cost me a lot. I cannot and should not do the job unless I have a full tank plus a little in reserve for those unplanned and unexpected challenges that inevitably present themselves.” recounted the New Zealand Prime Minister.
Ardern has maintained that behind his decision there is “no secret scandal.” “I’m human. We give everything we can for as long as we can and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time,” she said.
Given this decision, the party must elect this Sunday, January 22, the new leader of the Labor Party and the new prime minister. Meanwhile, the person elected must govern until October 14, when the general elections are held, according to the aforementioned newspaper.
Specifically, the New Zealand prime minister has stressed that she is confident that Labor will be able to win the elections without her, ensuring that “a new set of shoulders” is necessary for the challenges of the next four years.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished in the last five years despite the many challenges that lie ahead. We have turned the statistics on child poverty on its head and achieved the most significant increases in social support and public housing stocks that have been seen in many decades”, Ardern has highlighted from his period in front of the Government.
“In addition to our ambitious agenda that has sought to address long-term issues like the housing crisis, child poverty, and climate change, we also had to respond to a major biosecurity raid, a domestic terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption, and a global pandemic, and the consequent economic crisis. The decisions that have had to be made have been constant and weighty,” he added.
Ardern, 42, took office as prime minister in August 2017, becoming the youngest person in the country’s history to hold the post. Then, she came to power after agreeing a government alliance with the Greens and the New Zealand Nationalists First, ending a decade of Conservative rule.
