NZ PM presses claim to form government as rival refuses to concede defeat

Wellington

NEW Zealand Prime Minister Bill English has claimed a mandate to form the next government after winning the biggest slice of the vote in Saturday's election, even as opposition leader Jacinda Ardern refuses to concede defeat.

While Mr English's ruling National Party fell short of a majority and will need the support of the nationalist New Zealand First Party to govern, it got 46 per cent of the vote compared to 35.8 per cent for Ms Ardern's Labour Party. She would need to engineer a three-way coalition also involving the Green Party to oust Mr English from office.

"With a 10-point lead over the Labour Party, we're in a pretty strong position," Mr English told media in A…