| Prime Minister Helen Clark courted coalition partners Sunday after narrowly winning an election that featured a rival bid to strip special rights from indigenous Maori and dismantle nuclear-free laws in favor of stronger U.S. trade ties. Clark's ruling Labour Party won 50 seats in the 122-seat parliament, forcing her to form a coalition government. The main opposition National Party's was close behind with 49 seats in the poll Saturday. The 55-year-old Clark will become the first Labour leader since World War II to win three terms if she can agree to deals with small parties to support her in government. |