JULIAN Assange says his WikiLeaks Party will live on despite its poor showing in the election.
With about two-thirds of Senate first preferences counted, the party picked up 0.62 per cent of the national vote.
Its best showing was in Victoria, where Assange was the lead candidate, where it garnered 1.18 per cent of the primary vote.
In NSW it picked up 0.8 per cent and in Western Australia 0.71 per cent.
But none of these numbers are good enough to get anyone elected.
“We are the second largest vote count for the new parties after Clive Palmer’s party which had a billion bucks behind it,” Assange told ABC TV on Sunday.
“I think that’s a pretty good outcome.”
He said it was “rather bizarre” the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party was being projected to win a Victorian Senate spot when it “has less than a third of the vote that we had”.
Projections are made according to preference flows from the tickets lodged by all parties before the election.
Asked if he would try again for a Senate seat in three or six years’ time, Assange said: “I think so.”
“The WikiLeaks Party will continue for sure,” he said.
In the meantime, Assange will turn his attention to the work of his secret-leaking website, while remaining holed up in London’s Ecuadorian embassy.
“It’s now back to the real work, to publish,” he said.
But he is buoyed by his political party’s efforts amid tough circumstances.
“The party was registered in July, three months ago,” Assange said.
“It’s had a leader and primary candidate stuck in an overseas embassy for 400 days in a foreign country, nine hours time difference and an international banking blockade against it, which interfered with donations.” – AAP
