Parekura Horomia

Wellington, Nov 2 NZPA - Labour's Parekura Horomia holds a slender lead over the Maori Party's Derek Fox in Ikaroa-Rawhiti, a poll released today shows.

The Marae-Digipoll put Mr Horomia on 49.8 percent support against Mr Fox's 44.4 percent -- a reversal of the position in a July poll which showed Mr Fox in the lead.

But Mr Horomia's 5.4 point lead in the latest poll is close to the 4.9 percent margin of error and the seat could go either way on election night.

The Maori Party holds four of the seven Maori seats in Parliament and is aiming to win all of them.

Polls have shown its four sitting MPs -- Tariana Turia, Pita Sharples, Hone Harawira and Te Ururoa Flavell -- are well ahead of their Labour challengers.

To win all the seats the Maori Party has to take Ikaroa-Rawhiti from Mr Horomia, Hauraki-Waikato from Nanaia Mahuta and Te Tai Tonga from Mahara Okeroa.

A poll released last week showed Mr Okeroa holding a 10 point lead over Tahui Katene, while the contest in Hauraki-Waikato is neck-and-neck.

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