North Korea's fake elections leave Dear Fat Leader off the ballot
- 5 years ago
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA — North Korea just held its rubber stamp parliamentary elections and shocker—the authoritarian leadership won in a landslide.
According to the BBC, one interesting thing about the fake elections was that Kim Jong-un did not appear on the ballot.
If confirmed, this is the first time a North Korean dictator has not run for its pretend parliament.
The regime uses the elections to legitimize its iron grip over the country, much in the same way the China uses fake elections to elect their rubber stamp National People's Congress.
In North Korea's ballot, each voting slip has only one state-approved candidate on it. Well that makes deciding who to vote for easier.
State media announced the names of the 687 deputies selected to the Supreme People's Assembly on Tuesday.
According to the BBC, voting was mandatory for all North Koreans above the age of 17.
The play parliament is chosen every five years and the turnout is always around 100 percent.
But it's clear from this year's turnout that no rigging took place as the turnout was only 99.99 percent. According to NK's official news agency KCNA, that's because some were "abroad or working in oceans" so were unable to participate.
According to the BBC, one interesting thing about the fake elections was that Kim Jong-un did not appear on the ballot.
If confirmed, this is the first time a North Korean dictator has not run for its pretend parliament.
The regime uses the elections to legitimize its iron grip over the country, much in the same way the China uses fake elections to elect their rubber stamp National People's Congress.
In North Korea's ballot, each voting slip has only one state-approved candidate on it. Well that makes deciding who to vote for easier.
State media announced the names of the 687 deputies selected to the Supreme People's Assembly on Tuesday.
According to the BBC, voting was mandatory for all North Koreans above the age of 17.
The play parliament is chosen every five years and the turnout is always around 100 percent.
But it's clear from this year's turnout that no rigging took place as the turnout was only 99.99 percent. According to NK's official news agency KCNA, that's because some were "abroad or working in oceans" so were unable to participate.