New Zealand PM announces general election date

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday announced that the 2020 General Election will be held on September 19.

"I will be asking New Zealanders to continue to support my leadership and the current direction of the government, which is grounded in stability, a strong economy and progress on the long-term challenges facing New Zealand," Xinhua news agency quoted Ardern as saying.

She believed it was fair to announce the dates early in advance.

"It improves the opportunities for New Zealanders to take part in the democratic process and gives a greater degree of certainty to the political landscape."

The date means Parliament will sit for the last time on August 6 and will be officially dissolved on August 12, reports the New Zealand Herald.

The last election was September 23, 2017. Around 3.57 million people were registered to vote in the election, with 2.63 million turning out.

Following her election win, Ardern, then 37, took office on October 26, 2017, becoming the the world's youngest female head of government.