An emotional Ardern says February 7 is her last day in office and she won’t be seeking re-election this year.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she will resign next month and will not run in this year’s general election.
Holding back tears, Ardern told reporters in Napier on Thursday that Feb. 7 would be her last day in office.
“I didn’t quit because it was hard. If so, I probably would have quit my job in two months,” she said.
“I am resigning because such a privileged role comes with responsibilities. It is my responsibility to know if I am the right person to lead or not. I know, and I know there isn’t enough left in the tank to justify it.
Ardern, who became prime minister in a coalition government in 2017, looked set to face a tough campaign this year.
Her liberal Labor Party was re-elected in a landslide two years ago in historic proportions, but recent polls show her party lagging behind its conservative rivals.
She was lauded globally for her country’s first response to the coronavirus pandemic after New Zealand contained the virus at its borders for months.
However, as new subspecies emerged and a vaccine became available, New Zealand abandoned its zero-tolerance strategy.
Ardern faced harsher criticism at home that his strategy was too harsh.
Prime Minister Ardern announced in December that a Royal Commission of Inquiry would investigate whether the government made the right decisions in the fight against COVID-19 and how it could prepare for future pandemics. That report is due next year.
Prime Minister Ardern said on Thursday that general elections will be held on October 14.
She believes the vote to elect the next Labor leader will take place on Sunday and her party will win the vote.
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said in a statement that he would not be the next Labor leader.
