Coronavirus in New Zealand: legislative postponed because of the pandemic

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has resolved to postpone the legislative elections of September 19, 2020 due to a second wave of the pandemic in the country. Marty MELVILLE / AFP

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New Zealand's parliamentary elections are postponed for four weeks due to a return of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday. A hard blow for an exemplary country in the fight against Covid-19.

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With our correspondent in Wellington, Richard Tindiller

Once again, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern prefers to play the card of caution. Because for a little less than a week, New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, has been confined again due to new positive coronavirus cases detected without any link to returns from abroad.

A rebound in the pandemic which caused the contamination of 49 people. Result: a return to social distancing for the whole country, the confinement of Auckland until the end of the month and postponed elections.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, of the Labor Party, had already launched her campaign for ten days . But she announced on Sunday that the elections scheduled for September 19 will finally take place on October 17. The postponement, she insisted, means that all parties will campaign under the same conditions and that this new date will not change whatever the situation.

In a position to win without a coalition

After good management of the pandemic and her responses to the attack on the mosques in Christchurch or after the volcanic eruption of White Island, Jacinda Ardern is in a very good position in the polls. His Labor Party is on its way to winning the election without the need for a coalition, as was the case in the previous election.

► To read also: Coronavirus: the army will control the borders of New Zealand

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  • New Zealand
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