Julian Assange Wants to Run for Senate (in Australia)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has revealed his intention to run for the Australian senate on a new WikiLeaks party ticket in 2013, The Age's Philip Dorling reports, and his chances aren't as slim as you might imagine — despite his residence in Ecuador following allegations of rape in Sweden. Assange is currently living in political asylum in Ecuador, but that doesn't mean he can't be involved in Australian politics: "If Mr Assange were elected but he was unable to return to Australia to take up his position, a nominee would occupy a Senate seat," Dorling writes. Assange says his plans to register a WikiLeaks party are "significantly advanced," and that "a number of very worthy people admired by the Australian public" have said they'd be interested on running on a WikiLeaks ticket. And Australians might be interested in a WikiLeaks ticket, too! From Doring:
Opinion polls this year by UMR Research, the company the Labor Party uses for its internal polling, have suggested that Mr Assange could be a competitive Senate candidate in either NSW or Victoria, most likely fighting it out with the Australian Greens for the last of six seats up for grabs in each state in a half-Senate election.
