New Zealand's Ruling National Party to Return to Power

Wellington: New Zealand's ruling National party was headed towards a third term in government on Saturday, as general election votes showed the centre-right party held 49 percent of the vote with nearly three-quarters of the votes counted.

Prime Minister John Key's party was in a position to win an outright majority, which would be strengthened with the co-operation of three minor parties likely be invited to form another coalition government.

The opposition Labour Party lagged far behind with 24 percent of the party vote, while the Green party followed with 10 percent.

Opinion polls had pointed to National, which has been in power since 2008, being the biggest single party with about 46 percent support, with the main centre-left Labour Party trailing a distant second on 25 percent.