New Zealand is a single-chamber parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth. The Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing territories.
Main Political Issues
Electoral reform
New Zealand is to shift to a system of proportional representation at the next general election, due in 1996. Popular endorsement of electoral reform in a referendum in November 1993 reflects widespread disillusionment with the NP and LP, in particular over both parties' turnabout on electoral promises during the 1980s. The German-style system, mixing constituency candidates with those identified by party, will give a much greater role to the smaller parties, which received almost 30% of the vote in the 1993 election.
Profile
Politics have been dominated by the NP and the LP under the first-past-the-post system. The period since 1984 has been one of radical reform, first of the economy under the LP and, since 1990, of welfare under the NP. Popular disaffection hardened during this period. NP and LP dissidents formed two new main parties, the Alliance and the New Zealand First Party, which took almost 30% of the vote between them at the 1993 election, and left the NP with an overall majority of only one seat.
