The official media of the communist dictatorship also reported a slight decline in participation rates.
For the first time since the early 1960s, dissident votes were recorded in North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party in local elections held on Sunday, November 26. “Of the voters who took part in the vote, 99.91% voted for the candidates for the provincial people’s congresses” and “99.87% voted for the candidates for the city and county people’s congresses,” the official news agency said of the regime on Tuesday, November 28th. KCNA.
Through this absurd communication and transparency operation, the pariah country, led with an iron fist by Workers’ Party General Secretary Kim Jong-un, seeks to “empower.” [sa] Legitimacy and [son] Authenticity on the global stage,” the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada analyzes in a report. “This approach goes beyond internal political restructuring and extends to building international narratives and seeks to reshape the perception of North Korea as a progressive, if misunderstood, country,” the group continues.
Green urn, red urn
To vote, voters had the choice of placing their ballot in two ballot boxes. The Green Party to approve the party’s candidate. Another, red, to reject it. “Voters suffering from aging or illness voted in mobile ballot boxes,” the regime’s press organ added. Thus, 0.09% and 0.13% respectively voted against the candidates selected for provincial and municipal councils.
When the communist dictatorship’s official media reported the election results, they reported a turnout rate of 99.63% – in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, participation is compulsory… “Those who could not take part in the vote because they were on tour.” KNCA writes: This is less than in 2019, when it was 99.98%, notes Portal.
Several candidates chosen by the party
According to a South Korean Unification Ministry official quoted anonymously by The Korea Times, the communist regime may have “manipulated” voter turnout “to give the impression that the elections were free elections.” For the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, “this decline may rather indicate a slight weakening of government control.” “In response, authorities could intensify internal surveillance by tracking those who are absent and those who travel without authorization “The report continues.
These quadrennial elections were the first since the country revised its electoral law in August 2023 to allow multiple candidates to run. However, the latter are carefully selected by the ruling party. At the end of the vote, 27,858 “workers, farmers, intellectuals and officials became deputies” of the various assemblies, KNCA reports.
Election simulacra
These election simulacra are just formalities resembling a grand patriotic celebration. A video can be seen on social networks of the world’s youngest dictator arriving at the Ryongsong complex in the city of Hamhung to vote to the orchestrated cheers of his compatriots.
“When distinguished comrade Kim Jong-un arrived at the voting booth, the workers of the complex were happy to see him at their workplace on the important day of the election… The workers of the complex and the residents of Hamhung City were full of fervent “They enthusiastically fulfill their civic duty,” reports KNCA. The next elections, this time nationwide, will take place in March 2024.