WELLINGTON - The National Party leader, Mr Jim Bolger, secured a third term as Prime Minister of New Zealand yesterday after making a controversial deal with his former arch-rival, Mr Winston Peters.
Mr Peters, head of the nationalist New Zealand First (NZF), ended nine weeks of uncertainty since a general election left a hung parliament to announce he was going to join Mr Bolger.
The NZF leader shunned approaches from the opposition Labour Party and made a deal with the National Party under which he will be deputy prime minister to Mr Bolger, who forced him out of the National Party six years ago.