North Koreans had no option but to vote in local elections held in the east Asian dictatorship on Sunday
North Korea makes rare mention of dissenting votes in recent elections
SEOUL, Nov 28 (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday made a rare mention of dissenting votes in recent elections. North Korea's recent electoral reform introducing a primary-like competition between two...
North Koreans had no choice but to vote in local elections held in the East Asian dictatorship on Sunday, according to a report by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The report said that voter turnout was 99.98%, with only a "negligible number" of people abstaining. However, it also acknowledged that there were some dissenting votes, with 11 people voting against the official candidates and 22 others spoiling their ballots.
This is the first time that North Korea has publicly acknowledged dissenting votes in an election. In the past, the country has claimed that its elections are unanimous, with 100% of voters supporting the official candidates.
The admission of dissenting votes is a sign that North Korea is slowly beginning to reform its electoral system. In recent years, the country has introduced a number of changes, including allowing voters to choose between two candidates and allowing independent candidates to run for office.
However, it remains to be seen whether these reforms will lead to any real change in the way that North Korea is governed. The country is still a one-party state, and the ruling Workers' Party of Korea controls all aspects of life in the country.
The mention of dissenting votes in the KCNA report is a small but significant step towards greater transparency in North Korea. It remains to be seen whether this will lead to any further reforms, but it is a sign that the country is slowly beginning to open up.
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