North Korea Holds Local Elections, Mentions Dissenting Votes
Rare Acknowledgement of Disagreement
SEOUL, Nov 28 (Reuters)
North Korea on Tuesday made a rare mention of dissenting votes in recent elections, although analysts dismissed it as an attempt to portray an image of a more democratic society.
The North's official news agency, KCNA, reported that 684 out of 687 candidates were elected to local people's assemblies in elections held on Sunday. It noted that three candidates received dissenting votes, without providing further details.
Analysts said the mention of dissenting votes was likely intended to suggest that North Korea has a more open and democratic political system than it actually does.
"This is a very small number of dissenting votes, and it's unclear if they were genuine or simply staged by the regime," said Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul.
North Korea has historically used elections as a pretext to restrict internal movement and track the whereabouts of citizens who may have left their local area without permission.
Local elections are being held in North Korea for the first time since ruler Kim Jong-un came to power in 2011. North Korea is considered one of the most corrupt countries in the world, alongside Somalia.
Parliamentary elections were expected to be held in North Korea in March or April 2024, but it is considered likely they were delayed or cancelled due to a lack of communication from the government.
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