The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Wellington

Counting after New Zealand's national election Saturday indicated a big swing towards John Key's centre-right National Party, official figures showed, with more than half the votes tallied.

Electoral office figures showed National had 47 percent of the national vote compared to 33 percent for Prime Minister Helen Clark's Labour Party, after 52.8 percent of the total vote had been counted.

Among the minor parties, the Green Party had 6.2 percent and former foreign affairs minister Winston Peters' New Zealand First had 4.7 percent.

Political analysts warned Labour's tally was likely to be boosted later, as major city polling booths were counted. The swing was roughly in line with polls before the election showing Clark's Labour Party facing likely defeat after nine years in power.

The pre-election polls predicted multi-millionaire former investment banker Key could take power with the help of the tiny conservative parties ACT and United Future. Since the complex mixed member proportional (MMP) electoral system was introduced in 1996, no single party has won over 50 percent of the vote and been able to control the parliament without the help of minor parties.

Under the MMP system, every party winning at least five percent of the total vote is allocated seats on a proportional basis in the parliament of about 120 seats.

Some parties are also represented by winning some of the 63 general electorates and seven seats set aside for the indigenous Maori population.