Julian Assange overtakes Donald Trump in Time’s person of the year reader’s poll

AN AUSTRALIAN is beating US President-elect Donald Trump in a poll to find Time magazine’s person of the year.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been hiding out in the Ecuadorean embassy in London for the last four years. Picture: AFP/Ben Stansall

WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange is leading a poll to find Time magazine’s person of the year.

The Australian is ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump in the readers’ online vote for this year’s award.

The two were neck and neck at nine per cent each earlier this week but Assange now has 12 per cent, compared with 11 per cent for Trump.

Donald Trump is in the running for Time magazine’s person of the year. Picture: Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP

Julian Assange has overtaken Donald Trump in the online poll. Picture: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

Time selects the person who has, for better or worse, made the greatest impact on the world in the past year. The magazine’s editors make the final selection but the poll is a way for readers to voice their opinions. Voting ends on December 4.

Assange has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy in London for more than four years and has been granted political asylum by Ecuador.

He faces a sex allegation in Sweden, which he has always denied but believes that if he leaves the embassy he will be extradited to the US for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks.

Who should be TIME's Person of the Year for 2016? https://t.co/TVNJtiqxsa

— TIME (@TIME) November 22, 2016

Assange was interviewed inside the embassy last week in the presence of prosecutors from Sweden. The Swedish Prosecution Authority said it would take a view on the continuation of its investigation.

Assange’s lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, said he had co-operated fully with the interview and hoped the Swedish prosecutor would give “impartial and objective” consideration so the matter could be closed.

Time’s person of the year 2015 was German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was Time’s person of the year 2015. Picture: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Originally published as Julian Assange overtakes Donald Trump in Time’s person of the year reader’s poll