WELLINGTON, New Zealand
New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday she will resign next month.
"For me it's time,"
she said at a meeting of members of her Labour Party. "I just don't have
enough in the tank for another four years."
Ardern, who became prime
minister in a coalition government in 2017, then led her centre-left Labour
Party to a comprehensive victory in an election three years later, has seen her
party and personal popularity drop in recent polls.
In her first public appearance
since parliament went into its summer recess a month ago, she told Labour's
annual caucus retreat that during the break she had hoped to find the energy to
continue as leader, "but I have not been able to do that".
Ardern said the next general
election will be held on Saturday, October 14 and she would continue as an
electorate MP until then.
"I am not leaving,
because I believe we cannot win the next election, but because I believe we can
and will," she said.
Ardern said her resignation
would take effect no later than February 7, adding that the Labour caucus would
vote on a new leader on January 22.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant
Robertson said he would not be putting his name forward.
Ardern said there was no
secret behind her resignation.
"I am human. We give as
much as we can for as long as we can and then it's time. And for me, it's time.
"I am leaving because
with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility. The responsibility to
know when you are the right person to lead -- and also when you're not."
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