Internet Party plans 2017 election campaign

Kim Dotcom during the press conference at the Moment of truth event. Photograph / Brett Phibbs

The Internet Party has announced plans to contest September's election - at the same time distancing itself from internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom.

In a release published on its website, the Internet Party said Dotcom had resigned from its executive committee and is not involved in the campaign committee for 2017, or the party's operational decision-making.

"As such, Kim Dotcom has no advance knowledge that we are issuing this statement."

Dotcom has retweeted the Internet Party's announcement.

The Internet Mana alliance received just 1.42 per cent of the vote at the last election, following the Moment of Truth gathering organised by Dotcom in the Auckland Town Hall a week before the vote.

We’re back! Official 2017 campaign launch info coming soon, but please read & share our media statement from today https://t.co/qvOXkwpuRr pic.twitter.com/7s14pdEw8W

— Internet Party (@InternetPartyNZ) May 25, 2017

In its release, the Internet Party said local media had reported the Moment of Truth as a flop despite "record" attendance and revelations made by Edward Snowden.

"This revisionist history has a use-by date that is set to expire in 2017. Further information will continue to come to light about the extent to which New Zealand and the world have been actively deceived by their politicians and the state."

The release also raised the murder of former Democratic National Committee employee Seth Rich. Washington police have repeatedly said they think Rich was shot in a random robbery attempt.

Dotcom is a leading promoter of the conspiracy theory that Rich had supplied DNC documents to WikiLeaks and was killed as a result.

Rich's family has accused Dotcom of attempting to hack Rich's email account, a claim he denies.

The Internet Party release said both it and Dotcom are long-term supporters of WikiLeaks "and we are certain such claims would not be made unless they were true".