Poll results differ 2 days before NZ election

Two polls Thursday night put two New Zealand major parties in the lead respectively and indicated the race was just neck and neck.

One News/Colmar Brunton poll put opposition National Parth six percentage points lead and the three News TNS poll has the ruling Labor Party in the lead by less than two points.

Translated into seats in Parliament, the three News poll would give Labor 50 seats, National 48, the minor party NZ First eight, the Greens eight, Maori Party two, United Future four and the Progressives one seat resulting in an overhang of one in a 121- seat Parliament.

The election will be held on Sept. 17 and Helen Clark is trying to obtain a straight win for her third term of Prime Minister as Labor leader.

She said Thursday the feeling on the ground for Labor was as it had been in the 1999 and 2002 election "and I am very confident we are holding our vote."

National leader Don Brash said it was still a "very close election."

"We'll let the people decide on Saturday," said Brash.

Source: Xinhua