
Audio By Carbonatix
An Eritrean former refugee has become New Zeland's first African MP following Labour Party’s biggest victory in 50 years.
Ibrahim Omer is now a list MP having ranked 42 in the Labour Party list.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's party won enough seats to allow Mr Ibrahim to be in parliament.
During campaigns Mr Ibrahim said he wanted to "fight for people in the positions he has been in to have better opportunities for a decent life".
He fled Eritrea in 2003 into a refugee camp in neighbouring Sudan. He was later resettled in New Zealand where he worked as a cleaner at Victoria University.
He studied at the university while working as a cleaning supervisor and got involved in politics while there.
Mr Ibrahim said his win was "for the low paid workers" and "former refugees".
Latest Stories
-
Parliament approves new law to combat piracy, maritime crime
9 minutes -
Property sector vulnerable to money laundering despite economic gains – REAC
17 minutes -
ECG restores payment systems and vending platforms after flood disruption
25 minutes -
Real estate professionals urged to act as gatekeepers against illicit financial flows
34 minutes -
Labour issues 30-day ultimatum on Nkwanta violence
37 minutes -
U.S. Embassy in Ghana announces online auction of vehicles, government property
1 hour -
Cybercrime crackdown: CSA, police arrest high-interest Nigerian fraud suspect
1 hour -
Canada’s Tax Maze: Who’s helping Canadians navigate one of the world’s most complex tax systems?
2 hours -
Students kidnapped as militants storm school in Nigeria’s Borno state
2 hours -
Flood disaster is a national tragedy, not partisan issue – Bawumia
2 hours -
Access was just the beginning. Making banking matter is the real challenge
2 hours -
Asenso-Boakye urges gov’t to account for stalled $350 million flood control projects
2 hours -
US Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship
2 hours -
Africa risks missing AI revolution unless universities rethink education
2 hours -
Dissolve Stan Dogbe flood task force now! — Afenyo-Markin tells government
2 hours