By Elishya Perera
AUCKLAND (CWBN)_ With millions of lives lost, and the global economy significantly damaged, New Zealand was greatly praised by the international community, even by the World Health Organisation, for successfully eliminating the Coronavirus. On Wednesday (Oct 7), the last of its restrictions in Auckland were lifted, after 10 days with no new cases linked to a cluster that first surfaced in August. Even though a few new cases were reported in the subsequent days, according to the Ministry of Health, currently, zero patients are receiving treatment for the virus.
Having stamped out of the virus for the second time, the nation is eagerly waiting to find out if New Zealand’s most popular Prime Minister will be elected for a second term in the days ahead. Even though the country’s general election was initially scheduled for 19th September, the emergence of a second wave of the virus resulted in the election being postponed to 17th October. With just a couple of days to go, more than 1.15 million people have cast their votes already.
MMP electoral system
In 1996, New Zealand abandoned the “first past the post” system and adopted the mixed member proportional (MMP) system. There is a single chamber of parliament to which 120 MPs elected for a maximum three-year term. Under the MMP system, the voters are given two votes, one for their preferred party and the second for an electorate MP. The votes for the party determines how many seats in Parliament each party gets, while the votes for candidates determines who represents the electorate, and the candidate with the most votes wins, and becomes an MP.
Voting on the two referendums
At this year’s election, in addition to the above votes for the party and candidate, the voters can also vote on two referendums; the first being the Cannabis legalisation and control referendum, and the second being the End of Life Choice referendum. According to Government sources, the first referendum will give the public the opportunity to vote on whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal, based on the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill. Under the second referendum, the public may vote on whether the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should come into force, giving people with a terminal illness the option of requesting assisted dying.
Covid-19 measures
Even though New Zealand has been successful in eliminating the virus, the Electoral Commission has implemented certain procedures to ensure that the voters are not exposed to any risk of being infected. Contact tracing, using hand sanitiser on the way in and out of voting places, managing queues and allowing more room for physical distancing inside voting places, are a few of the many such procedures. The Commission will be increasing the size and number of voting places to give everyone more space. Meanwhile, voters are encouraged to bring their own pen to mark their voting papers, and to vote close to home. The Commission has also made arrangements for voting even if the voter is in hospital, quarantine, self- isolation, in prison or overseas.
