New Zealand Prime Minister resigns due to family matters

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced today that he will resign within a week for family reasons.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. Photo: AP

National Party leader and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key held a press conference announcing his resignation after informing the cabinet of his decision, according to the Guardian.

The reason for his sudden decision was family reasons. Mr. Key said that the job of a prime minister required "the people he loved most" to sacrifice too much.

He affirmed that he would vote for Deputy Prime Minister Bill English if he ran for the position of Prime Minister.

He thanked his government colleagues for their support and said it was the "right time" to step down, stressing that serving the country was a "privilege".

Ruling National Party lawmakers will hold a meeting on December 12 to choose the party leader and take over as New Zealand's prime minister.

John Key has been Prime Minister of New Zealand since 2008. He is considered one of New Zealand's most popular leaders. The next election will take place before November next year.

According to VNE