World

New Zealand PM Jacinda Adern to quit next month

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday that she will resign next month.

“Jacinda Ardern says she will not be seeking re-election this year and her last day as prime minister is 7 February. The 2023 general election will take place on 14 October,” tweeted RNZ, New Zealand’s public broadcaster.

“For me it’s time. I just don’t have enough in the tank for another four years,” she said at a meeting of members of her Labour Party, according to media reports.

The surprise decision from Ardern comes after five and a half years of tenure leading New Zealand through the coronavirus pandemic. But she has seen a decline in popularity in recent polls.

Ardern said she knew what the prime minister’s job took and believed she “no longer had enough in the tank to do it justice” but there were colleagues who could.

She said her Government had achieved a lot and she was not standing down because she did not believe Labour could win the next election, but because she thought it could.

Speaking to the media, Ardern said there was no special “angle” or “real reason” why she wanted to resign, only that she was “human”.

“To Neve, mum is looking forward to being there when you start school next year. To Clarke, let’s finally get married.”

Ardern’s Labour Party will begin looking for a successor with a caucus vote on Saturday.

At only 37 years old at the time of her election to power in 2017, Ardern is one of the world’s youngest female state leaders.

IN Bureau

Recent Posts

Amid tensions with Iran, Israeli PM speaks to PM Modi, German Chancellor Merz, French President Macron

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held talks with world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra…

6 hours ago

Russia, Belarus to strengthen cooperation within BRICS, EAEU frameworks

Moscow hosted high-level talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Belarusian counterpart, Maksim…

8 hours ago

Plane Crash: UK envoy Cameron meets PM Modi, says “UK and India working together to establish facts”

British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi…

9 hours ago

“Over 200 diarrhoea cases reported in Jajpur,” says Director of Public Health for Odisha govt

Director of Public Health, Odisha, Dr Nilakantha Mishra, said on Friday that there is a…

12 hours ago

India urges Iran and Israel to avoid escalation, emphasises dialogue and diplomacy

India on Friday expressed deep concern over the recent developments between Iran and Israel and…

14 hours ago

India, China agree to rebuild ties with focus on people-centric engagements

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in New Delhi on…

15 hours ago