The ongoing saga of New Zealand’s two votes on whether or not to change the country’s flag has taken a surprising U-turn after Prime Minister John Key bowed to public pressure and included a fifth entry into the list.

Red Peak, which was designed by Wellington man Aaron Dustin, was included in the long list of flags submitted by members of the public, but failed to find favour with the flag committee who selected the top four. But the design became a cult hit with New Zealanders, with nearly 52,000 people signing a petition to have it included in the vote.

John Key had previously said that the government would not make any changes to the final line-up that will go before the New Zealand electorate in November, but has now relented and added Red Peak to the mix. The response to the news has been varied:

NZ First likens Red Peak flag to Nazi war symbols https://t.co/hyM4paYy2J pic.twitter.com/fuFOwpytek

— ONE News (@ONENewsNZ) September 23, 2015

Congratulations, Red Peak. You are still in the running to become New Zealand's next top flag.

— Laura McQuillan (@mcquillanatorz) September 23, 2015

Wow. It's on the list. Now it's up to you all. Let's vote #RedPeak ! pic.twitter.com/r6JCCtwu55

— Rowan Simpson (@rowansimpson) September 23, 2015

The winner of November’s vote will then face off against the current New Zealand flag, which features the Union Standard of Great Britain, with the winner of that vote selected as the nation’s official flag.

When the four finalists were selected for the November vote earlier this month, the reaction of the public was largely negative, with social media users describing the four flags as boring and predictable. Three of the designs feature the silver fern design, and the other one includes the koru, a Māori symbol used to represent renewal of life.

Red Peak received a groundswell of popular support in light of the flag selection, and on Wednesday the Prime Minister backed a Green Party bill to amend the New Zealand Flag Referendums Act to allow Red Peak to be included.

"In the end, I'm not wanting to be the one that stands in the way of people having some choice," he said.

Speaking of its design, creator Aaron Dustin said Red Peak uses the shape of traditional waving patterns, and "suggests a landscape of alpine ranges, red earth, and black sky." The flag also references the Māori myth of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, the sky father and earth mother.