'100 percent' of North Korean voters approve candidates in local elections

[News_Editor]

'100 percent' of North Korean voters approve candidates in local elections

2011-07-26 13:02:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

PYONGYANG (BNO NEWS) -- North Korean state-run media on Tuesday claimed that all voters in Sunday's local elections have approved the candidates who ran unopposed, claiming it as an 'important occasion' that showed 'the will of the Korean people.'

The local elections were held at various locations throughout the country on Sunday and were meant to 'elect' deputies to provincial, city and county assemblies. But voters who showed up had little choice but to vote for the 'candidates' who were already selected for them by the government.

In North Korea, all residents are legally required to vote during elections unless they have left the country with approval or if they work at sea. And although voters can vote against the candidate by picking up a red pen, doing so would result in immediate arrest and severe sentences.

Nonetheless, activities were staged in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to celebrate the show election. Video released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday showed groups of people dancing to music outside several voting stations in Pyongyang.

Kim Yong, Chairman of Sub-constituency No. 93 of Constituency No. 57 in Pyongyang, told KCNA that the election is an important occasion. "The election is of weighty significance as it is being held when all the Korean people have turned out in the effort to glorify the 100 year history of Kim Il Sung's Korea," Kim Yong said, referring to the former North Korean leader who was born in 1912 and led the country since its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994.

Kim Song Un, who ran as a candidate for Deputy to the Pyongyang City People's Assembly, promised to serve the people. "I will contribute to the country's economic development and faithfully serve for the people, true to the leadership of Kim Jong Il for the building of a thriving nation," Kim Song Un said. A photo released by KCNA showed North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as he voted during the election.

State media had earlier reported that 99.97 percent of registered voters had voted in the election. The other 0.03 percent were said to be people traveling out of the country or working at sea, but it was impossible for foreign journalists to confirm how many people went out to vote.

"The recent election fully displayed once again before the world the unshakable faith and will of the Korean people to realize without fail the wish of President Kim Il Sung for a thriving nation by adding steady spurs to the Chollima of Songun and to an all-out offensive, united close around the WPK Central Committee headed by leader Kim Jong Il," KCNA said in a news report on Tuesday. "It also fully demonstrated the might of the single-minded unity of the revolutionary ranks and advantages of Korean-style socialism."

It added: "The election marked an important occasion in consolidating the people's power of the DPRK by building new local power bodies with able officials, representatives of workers, farmers and intellectuals who are devoting themselves to the party and the leader, the country and its people and dashing ahead at the head of the advance for a great surge to improve the standard of people's living while pushing back the frontiers of the latest science and technology."

Kang Sang O, one of the voters, thanked the government on state-run television for organizing the show election. "We are really grateful to the government for setting up the people as masters of the country and guaranteeing happiness of all generations to come," Kang Sang O said.

Another voter, 17-year-old student Hong Su Ran, said: "I am very happy to participate in the election for the people's assemblies and I will devote all my effort to upholding the people's power out of civil duties." North Korean citizens are allowed to vote when reaching the age of 17.

The North Korean government is expected to organize parliamentary elections under similar circumstances in 2014.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-26

[LuukKoeyKorat]

Added a bit of mirth to this afternoons proceedings...

[bkkjames]

wow that's some turn-out, will make the democracies of the west envious. Now that's how to hold an election. Vote here or we shoot you.

[BKK03]

Why would a news organization publish trash like this as news?

[TAWP]

wow that's some turn-out, will make the democracies of the west envious. Now that's how to hold an election. Vote here or we shoot you.

Well, according to Red shirts (and their apologists) the results still counts...nomatter how it was reached.

[geriatrickid]

wow that's some turn-out, will make the democracies of the west envious. Now that's how to hold an election. Vote here or we shoot you.

Well, according to Red shirts (and their apologists) the results still counts...nomatter how it was reached.

No. That's your personal opinion.

[baboon]

wow that's some turn-out, will make the democracies of the west envious. Now that's how to hold an election. Vote here or we shoot you.

Well, according to Red shirts (and their apologists) the results still counts...nomatter how it was reached.

No. That's your personal opinion.

They will be blaming Thaksin and the red shirts for the sinking of the Titanic next....

[organic]

by adding steady spurs to the Chollima of Songun and to an all-out offensive

The what???

[Steely Dan]

They should really translate 1984 into Korean and drop copies over North Korean airspace.

[Scott]

Can we assume that their National Happiness Index is extremely high as well?

[EvilDrSomkid]

by adding steady spurs to the Chollima of Songun and to an all-out offensive

The what???

In Koreanm Chollima means a horse galloping 1,000 ri a day. Songun is a mythical Korea.

Check out this link: http://ndfsk.dyndns.org/kuguk8/pym/nr0503-5/modi.htm

Pure bred DPRK propaganda.

[TAWP]

wow that's some turn-out, will make the democracies of the west envious. Now that's how to hold an election. Vote here or we shoot you.

Well, according to Red shirts (and their apologists) the results still counts...nomatter how it was reached.

No. That's your personal opinion.

No, that is the direct implication of the opinions on the result of elections here and how the result should be respected and all MPs approved - no-matter what.

[maidu]

It must be such a warm and fuzzy feeling for Dear Leader knowing absolutely all his sheeple are fully behind him.

No matter that a bullet to the head awaits anyone hinting at the slightest dissatisfaction. Somewhere beyond the pale, Vlad the Impaler smiles upon you, Dear Leader.

They will be blaming Thaksin and the red shirts for the sinking of the Titanic next....

.....the sinking of the Thaitanic, perchance?

Edited July 27, 2011 by maidu