Iceland's Pirate Party, founded by activists and hackers four years ago, is on course to either win or finish a close second in tomorrow's general election.
The party favours direct democracy, government transparency, decriminalising drugs and offering asylum to Edward Snowden.
Thousands of Icelanders rallying in Reykjavik on April 9 to demand immediate elections on a sixth consecutive day of anti-government protests over the "Panama Papers" revelations, which caused the Prime Minister's resignation. Photo: AFP
One of the candidates, Oktavía Jónsdóttir, told Morning Report the party had already had discussions with four different parties and even before the election it looked like they were prepared to form a governing coalition.
"I think we're as ready as we can be, going from activism to a social movement to Parliament are big, very huge steps," she said.
"But we're very humble to the task, and we're very proud and humbled by the trust that the Icelandic people have shown us and now we just need to show ourselves and start working hard and make sure that the rights of the Icelandic people are put first."
She said the party's policies could be considered both very traditionally left-wing in some ways and very traditionally right-wing in others.
"We very much value privacy for people, we value rights - human rights and civil rights - and at the same time we advocate for very strong governance structures and transparency in general in government."
She said the party's rise to power was less to do with disruption of the establishment and more the rise of greater representative democracy.
Protesters outside Iceland's parliament, Alltinget, in Reykjavik on Monday April 4, 2016. Photo: AFP
"The way that we want to form government is very much based on direct government processes.
"So it's about ... giving the rights back to the people and I think that's something that we need to do and something I think the other governments in Europe at least should be thinking about."
"It's going to be a great day for democracy in Iceland on Saturday, it's historic times for us really and we're really happy that everyone is looking."
