New Zealand's general elections yield no clear winner as tally ends

AUCKLAND - New Zealand's parliamentary elections on Saturday yield no clear winner as tally ended in the wee hours of Sunday, leaving the third largest party with 7.5 percent of the votes the kingmaker.

The ruling National Party has secured 46 percent of the party votes, which transfer to 58 seats in the 120 member Congress in an Mixed-Member Proportional voting system, with the opposition Labor Party lagging behind at 35.8 percent, or 45 seats.

The New Zealand First Party has garnered nine seats, making it the indispensable coalition partner for both the National Party and the Labor Party to form the government.

The Labor Party with its ally Green Party of 5.8 percent votes or seven seats in the congress would just make enough seats to form a government if they can successfully get the New Zealand First Party on board.

Winston Peters, the party chief of the New Zealand First Party, however, refused to say which party he would side with. The negotiations may take days or weeks before a deal is struck between the future governing partners.