WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has appointed Australian barrister Greg Barns as director of his political campaign as he attempts to gain a senate seat in the 2014 elections in Australia.
Barns, anti-monarchy and former Australian Republican Movement activist, announced his collaboration yesterday (Monday) with Assange in the WikiLeaks Party campaign for the elections to take place in September 2014.
“It’s most definitely a serious campaign,” Barns told an Australian radio station.
“He does attract support from across the political spectrum. The party will offer a refreshing change from the Australian government culture of secrecy.”
Open about his strategy, the WikiLeaks Party founder Assange aims for a seat in the upper house of Australian parliamentary which will enable him to promote free speech and make an end to court suppression orders while being under protection of parliament.
The risk-taking aspirant politician said in an interview he felt “no fear” regarding the allegations against him, The Conversation, an Australian academic website, reported.
“Truth is I love a good fight. Many people are counting on me to be strong. I want my freedom, of course. But confinement gives me time to think,” Assange said.
He announced the campaign in 2012, hoping to win a senate seat which would enable him to be covered by Australian parliamentary privilege rules, exempting politicians from legal action based on comments made in parliament.
Party registration requirements of a 500 member-strong support were fulfilled, including the vote of Philip Wollen, well-known Melbourne-based philanthropist and former executive at Citibank.
As an established candidate, the former hacker will need 15 per cent of votes to secure one of the 76 seats in Victorian parliament.
According to regulations Assange, who has Australian citizenship, is required to return to the country to be sworn in if he is elected.
Assange is infamous for the negative reaction of the United States (US) government to his website publishing thousands of secret diplomatic cables in 2010.
The 41-year-old gained asylum at the London-based Ecuadorian embassy in June 2012, as he sought to evade extradition to Sweden on charges of sexual assault, which he appealed unsuccessfully in a series of cases in British courts.
HumanIPO reported last week on the court case progress as Swedish prosecutor Marianne Nye withdrew without clear reason.
