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| Online Renegade, Wanted in U.S., Shakes Up New Zealand Election | Online Renegade, Wanted in U.S., Shakes Up New Zealand Election |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| AUCKLAND, New Zealand — It was not an ordinary political rally, but it has been anything but an ordinary election. | |
| The hundreds of people who packed Auckland Town Hall on a recent evening were regaled by speeches by Glenn Greenwald, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist; Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder; and Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, the last two appearing by Internet video link. Mr. Greenwald and Mr. Snowden said the New Zealand government had carried out, or at least participated in, mass domestic surveillance. | The hundreds of people who packed Auckland Town Hall on a recent evening were regaled by speeches by Glenn Greenwald, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist; Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder; and Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, the last two appearing by Internet video link. Mr. Greenwald and Mr. Snowden said the New Zealand government had carried out, or at least participated in, mass domestic surveillance. |
| But at the center of the show was the event’s organizer, Kim Dotcom, an Internet entrepreneur accused of mass copyright theft whose fledgling Internet Party stands a chance at winning seats in Parliament in the national elections on Saturday. | But at the center of the show was the event’s organizer, Kim Dotcom, an Internet entrepreneur accused of mass copyright theft whose fledgling Internet Party stands a chance at winning seats in Parliament in the national elections on Saturday. |
| “We are going to work really, really hard to stop this country from participating in mass surveillance,” Mr. Dotcom told the crowd. “And we’ll close one of the Five Eyes,” he added, referring to the intelligence alliance that consists of Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. The crowd erupted in cheers. | “We are going to work really, really hard to stop this country from participating in mass surveillance,” Mr. Dotcom told the crowd. “And we’ll close one of the Five Eyes,” he added, referring to the intelligence alliance that consists of Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. The crowd erupted in cheers. |
| In this remote Pacific island country, where elections usually turn on bread-and-butter issues like jobs and personal financial security, this election campaign has been rocked by a scandal involving the hacked emails of a right-wing blogger that led to the resignation of a senior minister, a campaign finance scandal that forced the resignation of a member of Parliament, and a lawsuit brought by the publishers of the American rapper Eminem accusing the governing National Party of illegally using his song “Lose Yourself” in a campaign ad. (The party denies the allegation.) | In this remote Pacific island country, where elections usually turn on bread-and-butter issues like jobs and personal financial security, this election campaign has been rocked by a scandal involving the hacked emails of a right-wing blogger that led to the resignation of a senior minister, a campaign finance scandal that forced the resignation of a member of Parliament, and a lawsuit brought by the publishers of the American rapper Eminem accusing the governing National Party of illegally using his song “Lose Yourself” in a campaign ad. (The party denies the allegation.) |
| The issue that has drawn international attention, however, has been Mr. Dotcom himself, who has become an outspoken character and a significant player in New Zealand politics since he moved here several years ago. Born Kim Schmitz in Germany before legally changing his name, Mr. Dotcom, 40, is fighting extradition to the United States, where he is wanted on racketeering charges stemming from his file-sharing site Megaupload, now defunct. | The issue that has drawn international attention, however, has been Mr. Dotcom himself, who has become an outspoken character and a significant player in New Zealand politics since he moved here several years ago. Born Kim Schmitz in Germany before legally changing his name, Mr. Dotcom, 40, is fighting extradition to the United States, where he is wanted on racketeering charges stemming from his file-sharing site Megaupload, now defunct. |
| While out on bail as he appeals the case, he has introduced a new company, Mega; confronted the prime minister in Parliament; released an album; and founded the Internet Party. | While out on bail as he appeals the case, he has introduced a new company, Mega; confronted the prime minister in Parliament; released an album; and founded the Internet Party. |
| The party advocates decriminalizing marijuana, setting a national goal of 100 percent sustainable energy generation by 2025, repealing surveillance legislation, and amending copyright laws to protect Internet companies from “civil liability arising from the action of their users,” a fix that could shield hosting services like Mega. | The party advocates decriminalizing marijuana, setting a national goal of 100 percent sustainable energy generation by 2025, repealing surveillance legislation, and amending copyright laws to protect Internet companies from “civil liability arising from the action of their users,” a fix that could shield hosting services like Mega. |
| There is widespread suspicion, as well, that if his party wins a place in the government, it will try to block his extradition. | There is widespread suspicion, as well, that if his party wins a place in the government, it will try to block his extradition. |
| Analysts say a spot in a coalition government is not out of the question. | Analysts say a spot in a coalition government is not out of the question. |
| The Internet Party has formed an alliance with the small, left-leaning Mana Movement, which already has a member in Parliament. A recent poll by the 3 News television network suggests that if the current Mana leader retains his seat, the combined Internet-Mana coalition could take three seats in Parliament. If no party wins a majority, smaller parties could negotiate significant influence in a coalition government, which would have final say over an extradition. | The Internet Party has formed an alliance with the small, left-leaning Mana Movement, which already has a member in Parliament. A recent poll by the 3 News television network suggests that if the current Mana leader retains his seat, the combined Internet-Mana coalition could take three seats in Parliament. If no party wins a majority, smaller parties could negotiate significant influence in a coalition government, which would have final say over an extradition. |
| Mr. Dotcom, who is not a New Zealand citizen and cannot run for office, has campaigned publicly and spoken on his party’s behalf, acting as its founder, figurehead and financier. | Mr. Dotcom, who is not a New Zealand citizen and cannot run for office, has campaigned publicly and spoken on his party’s behalf, acting as its founder, figurehead and financier. |
| “He’s still sort of seen as being outside the parliamentary political process, but kind of throwing some sort of hand grenades into it,” said Bryce Edwards, a lecturer in the politics department at the University of Otago, in southern New Zealand. | “He’s still sort of seen as being outside the parliamentary political process, but kind of throwing some sort of hand grenades into it,” said Bryce Edwards, a lecturer in the politics department at the University of Otago, in southern New Zealand. |
| Mr. Dotcom has sunk at least 3.5 million New Zealand dollars, or $2.9 million, into the Internet Party, the largest personal contribution to a political party on record in New Zealand, according to the national Electoral Commission. | Mr. Dotcom has sunk at least 3.5 million New Zealand dollars, or $2.9 million, into the Internet Party, the largest personal contribution to a political party on record in New Zealand, according to the national Electoral Commission. |
| Mr. Dotcom has said one of his main political goals is to to defeat the National Party-led government, which he accuses of colluding with the American film industry. With the film industry cited as one of the main victims of the copyright piracy that Megaupload is accused of committing, Mr. Dotcom sees the government’s cooperation with his extradition as doing the industry’s bidding. | Mr. Dotcom has said one of his main political goals is to to defeat the National Party-led government, which he accuses of colluding with the American film industry. With the film industry cited as one of the main victims of the copyright piracy that Megaupload is accused of committing, Mr. Dotcom sees the government’s cooperation with his extradition as doing the industry’s bidding. |
| On the campaign trail, the usually calm and composed prime minister, John Key, has lashed out on occasion, calling Mr. Greenwald a “loser” and a “henchman” of Mr. Dotcom. | On the campaign trail, the usually calm and composed prime minister, John Key, has lashed out on occasion, calling Mr. Greenwald a “loser” and a “henchman” of Mr. Dotcom. |
| And although Mr. Dotcom has tried to ally himself with other left-leaning parties, they have not always welcomed the attention. “Frankly, people have had about enough of Kim Dotcom,” the Labour leader, David Cunliffe, said Wednesday. “I detest the influence of big money in New Zealand politics, wherever it comes from.” | And although Mr. Dotcom has tried to ally himself with other left-leaning parties, they have not always welcomed the attention. “Frankly, people have had about enough of Kim Dotcom,” the Labour leader, David Cunliffe, said Wednesday. “I detest the influence of big money in New Zealand politics, wherever it comes from.” |
| Mr. Key has repeatedly denied that the Government Communications Security Bureau, New Zealand’s equivalent to the N.S.A. in the United States, conducts mass domestic surveillance. But he has refused to comment on whether it has access to data on New Zealanders collected by other parties. | Mr. Key has repeatedly denied that the Government Communications Security Bureau, New Zealand’s equivalent to the N.S.A. in the United States, conducts mass domestic surveillance. But he has refused to comment on whether it has access to data on New Zealanders collected by other parties. |
| In an email interview on Friday, Mr. Dotcom denied that his political aspirations were selfish. | |
| “In New Zealand I founded the Internet Party to give back to Kiwis,” he said by email. “My gratitude to them for supporting me, for having my back and giving me the strength to fight back. The global vision for the Internet Party is to re-establish a balance of power between the people and their governments with the help of the Internet.” | “In New Zealand I founded the Internet Party to give back to Kiwis,” he said by email. “My gratitude to them for supporting me, for having my back and giving me the strength to fight back. The global vision for the Internet Party is to re-establish a balance of power between the people and their governments with the help of the Internet.” |
| Regardless of his intentions, he seems to have stirred interest in the election. As of Wednesday, more than 434,000 people had already cast ballots in early voting, more than double the number who had voted by this time in the previous election. | |
| Dr. Edwards said he predicted an increase in turnout on Saturday “because this has been such a colorful election campaign.” “There would hardly be anyone that doesn’t know the election is taking place,” he said. “And people have become more polarized and excited — or maybe even repulsed — by some of the major players.” |