3rd LD Writethru: New Zealanders reject change to Union Jack in national flag

New Zealanders have voted to keep the British Union Jack in their national flag, spurning Prime Minister John Key's bid for a change to a silver fern design in a referendum that closed Thursday.

Almost 57 percent of the votes in the preliminary result were in favor of the country's colonial era naval ensign, which features the Union Jack prominently in the top left corner on a blue field with four red stars representing the Southern Cross constellation.

Just over 43 percent voted for the alternative offering of a stylized silver fern with the Southern Cross on a blue and black field.

Voter turnout was 67.3 percent of the electorate, or more than 2.12 million voters, according to the Electoral Commission.

The result ends months of polarizing and sometimes bitter debate which has straddled political party lines.

Supporters of the prime minister, who openly supported the change, have described campaigners for the current flag as "immature" and politically motivated.

Key acknowledged the referendum result in a Twitter post, saying, "New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag. I encourage all (New Zealanders) to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it."

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English, who was in charge of the process, said it had resulted in a "good debate around patriotism."

"We have run a robust, democratic process that has allowed us to discuss who we are and how we want to be represented on the world stage," English said in a statement.

"This process has engaged Kiwis in their homes, in their schools and in their workplaces, here in New Zealand, and right around the world -- it is something we've all had a point of view on."

The main opposition Labour Party said the prime minister had "split the nation and achieved nothing."

"At every stage of the process John Key screwed the scrum in favour of his flag," Labour leader Andrew Little said in a statement.

"He failed to treat the public with respect and put his personal agenda first."

The opposition Green Party said Key's overt campaigning for the alternative flag had tainted the referendum from the outset and cost all New Zealanders the opportunity to get a new flag.

"Lots of New Zealanders support a change of flag, but voted for the current one because the prime minister's interference ensured they weren't given a proper choice," Green co-leader Metiria Turei said in a statement.

"John Key alienated people by politicizing the process and attacking those who didn't like his choice of flag."

The process has been marred by controversy and rancor since it was initiated by Key after the 2014 general election.

Campaigners for the current flag have derided the silver fern design as a souvenir-type "tea towel" and a simplistic corporate-style logo.

Political opponents have described it as a waste of money and a "vanity project" of the prime minister.

Critics of the present flag, including Key, say it is too similar to the Australian flag and that it is a hangover from the country's colonial past.

Key has said New Zealanders were unlikely to have another chance to choose their flag before the country became a republic -- an event that was unlikely to happen in his lifetime.

The alternative option was selected by a Flag Consideration Panel that considered more than 10,000 flag designs submitted by the public and an initial referendum in which the public were asked to choose from a short list of five.

Final results will be released by the Electoral Commission on March 30.

The entire project is expected to cost over 26 million NZ dollars (17.4 million U.S. dollars). Endit