New Zealand elects first ever refugee MP

The Green Party's newly elected MP Golriz Ghahraman. Photo: File
The Green Party's newly elected MP Golriz Ghahraman. Photo: File

The Green Party's Te Atatu electorate candidate Golriz Ghahraman has been elected to parliament after the special vote count.

Ghahraman, 8th on the Green Party list, has become the country's first refugee MP.

Iranian-born Ghahraman is an Oxford-educated human rights expert who previously worked as a lawyer for the United Nations.

The Green Party received 5.9% of votes from the preliminary results, which granted it seven MPs.

Special votes gave the party an additional list MP.

"I know we've got that real core of support in New Zealand, especially being the Green movement, it's such a part of New Zealand's identity," she said on election night.

The Labour-Green bloc picked up two extra seats while National has lost two in the final election result.

Comments

That's good. Things were looking a bit parochial and male for a while.

A very good looking young lady, I wish her the best, but have to say the Greens are a party of nutters, world wide, and her views reflect that.