Dotcom's party set to win seats in NZ poll

At a recent political rally in Wellington, indicted Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom jokingly asked members of New Zealand's spy agency to raise their hands.

"Please don't worry," he said, to rising laughter and applause.

"Even though we are going to shut you down, we will find you guys new jobs."

Dotcom has been drawing large, enthusiastic crowds on the campaign trail, even as he fights US extradition attempts on racketeering charges over his now-shuttered file-sharing site Megaupload. He can't run for office because he's not a New Zealand citizen, but he has poured more than $2.44 million into a small party that is on target to win two or three of the 120 seats in the Parliament when the nation goes to the polls on Saturday.

The Internet Mana party is attracting younger voters by promising to deliver free higher education, cut the price of Internet access, fight mass surveillance, decriminalize marijuana and protect native dolphins. But Dotcom may fall short of one of his main goals: getting center-right Prime Minister John Key voted out of office.

Polls indicate that Key remains popular and is likely to win a third three-year term, though that would be in jeopardy if opposition parties such as Dotcom's gain more than half the parliamentary seats and form a coalition.

File-hosting site

Megaupload was a popular file-hosting site before the US government shut it down in 2012. Dotcom, who spent a month in jail in New Zealand before being released on bail, has since created another service called Mega.

US prosecutors accuse Dotcom, 40, of facilitating the widespread piracy of songs and movies. Dotcom, who was born Kim Schmitz in Germany, argues that he can't be held responsible for those who chose to use his site to illegally download material.

Dotcom founded the Internet Party, which in May joined forces with the Mana Movement, a party rooted in giving indigenous Maori a political voice and fighting for the rights of the poor.

Unusual campaign

The merger between a wealthy entrepreneur and grassroots activists appeared odd to many, but from a purely pragmatic viewpoint, it made sense: Dotcom had the money to bankroll a big campaign, while Mana had the support to win seats in parliament, thanks to the popularity of leader Hone Harawira.

At the rally, Victoria University of Wellington student Estelle Geach, 21, said she and a friend saw the event promoted on Facebook. She said she found Internet Party leader Laila Harre inspirational after hearing her on the radio.

"And I was drawn by the huge personality of Kim Dotcom," Geach said. "I wanted to see him in the flesh after seeing him on the news so many times."

But some say Dotcom's unusual campaign has backfired by helping Key consolidate support among moderate voters.

(China Daily 09/16/2014 page11)