The Black Vault

December 13, 2012
10 hours ago


PLANS to set up an Australian WikiLeaks party are "significantly advanced", the whistleblowing organisation's most visible member says.

Julian Assange has told Fairfax Media he intends to run for a Senate seat in the next election, adding that "a number of very worthy people admired by the Australian public" have expressed interest in standing for a yet-to-be registered Australian WikiLeaks party.

A draft party constitution has been prepared and is being subjected to legal review, Fairfax reports.

Party registration with the Australian Electoral Commission would require confirmation of at least 500 members listed on the electoral roll.

Mr Assange told Fairfax he had not yet registered to vote but believes he will be able to register in either NSW or Victoria as an overseas voter.

A "strategic decision" would determine which state he would run to represent, he said.
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The Australian citizen has been holed up in Ecuador's London embassy since taking refuge there in June in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over rape allegations.

Mr Assange is concerned that if he goes to Sweden, authorities will allow him to be extradited to the United States to be questioned over WikiLeaks' release of thousands of US diplomatic cables.