----- Original Message -----
From: Oquist, Ben (Sen B. Brown) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Tuesday, 7 Dec 1999 at 5:59pm;
NZ Greens win six seats with historic election count
WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Dec 7 AP - The Green Party won six seats and the
balance of power in New Zealand parliament following a count of special
ballots in one electoral district, two television channels reported today.
The revised results gave Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons the rural
Coromandel seat on special votes - which include absentee ballots and the
votes of those who registered late - according to the reports. On election
night, after the initial count, the Greens won no seats and Fitzsimons lost
by just 114 votes to National Party incumbent Murray McLean.
Under the country's proportional representation system, Fitzsimons' victory
entitles the Greens to another five seats in the Parliament, based on the
4.9 percent of the nationwide vote they won in the November 27 general
election.
That deprived the centre-left coalition government-elect formed by Labour
and the Alliance of an absolute majority in Parliament. The coalition will
now hold just half of the 120 seats in the legislature.
Greens co-leader Rod Donald said his party would stand by its pre-election
pledge to support a centre-left coalition. "We want to see there is a
stable government in place," he said. It remains to be seen if the Greens
will cash in on their position by demanding a Cabinet seat.
The Labour-led coalition is due to be sworn in on Friday and that process
will not be altered by today's surprise news.
Political observers noted the Greens have consistently said they would not
seek to enter a centre-left coalition, but would support it in votes on
confidence in the government and on money supply.
That would give the government a comfortable majority on key votes but also
create uncertainty over some policy planks. It would also allow the Greens
to push environment policy issues without being bound by formal membership
of a government.
Formal confirmation of the Greens' win was expected from the country's
Electoral Office later today, once it completes the final tally of all
special votes nationwide.
There was no immediate reaction to the reports from Prime Minister-elect
Helen Clark or her aides.
The losing National Party candidate in Coromandel is expected to call for a
recount of all votes in the constituency, which could take another week to
complete, and could then be open to further legal challenge.
--
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