New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday that she will resign from her position as leader in the coming weeks, stating that she no longer feels she has the energy to seek re-election in the October polls, CNN reports.
At a press conference, Ardern stated that her term will come to an end on Feb 7, with a new Labour Prime Minister set to be sworn in. However, she noted that “depending on the process that could be earlier.”
The general election is set to be held on Oct 14.
Ardern said, “The decision was my own. Leading a country is the most privileged job anyone could ever have, but also the most challenging. You cannot and should not do it unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges.”
She added, “I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.”
The Prime Minister explained that at the end of 2022, she took time to consider whether she had what it takes to continue as Prime Minister, ultimately coming to the conclusion that it was time to step down.
However, she made it clear that she is “not leaving because it was hard. If that was the case, I probably would have departed two months in the job,” highlighting the various challenges her administration faced, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019 Christchurch terror attack, and the deadly volcanic eruption on Te Puia o Whakaari, also known as White Island.
The Prime Minister stated that the early announcement of her resignation will allow for proper planning and preparation by government agencies and political parties.
