WELLINGTON, Nov 3, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - New Zealand's incoming conservative prime
minister said he intends to form a coalition government with liberal and
populist parties, after final election results Friday showed he failed to
secure an outright majority.

Christopher Luxon's National party secured 48 seats in the country's 123-seat
parliament in last month's polls, leaving it needing help to form a governing
majority.

The 53-year-old former airline executive said coalition talks with the
liberal ACT and populist New Zealand First parties would take place Saturday
and Sunday.

"It's good to have final clarity. Now we can get cracking," Luxon told
reporters at parliament in Wellington, refusing to put a timeframe on a
coalition deal.

"We are working constructively with both parties. We are going to come
together and form a strong, stable government," he added.

It is not clear if New Zealand can have a government in place before a key
Asia-Pacific leaders summit in San Francisco in mid-November.

In the first 100 days in office, the National party has promised changes such
as a ban on cellphones in schools, a crackdown on crime and the scrapping of
planned fuel tax hikes.

New Zealand voters ended the six-year reign of the centre-left Labour
government in an election on October 14.

Chris Hipkins, who replaced Jacinda Ardern as prime minister in January,
conceded defeat a few hours after the polls closed.