North Korean Parliamentary Elections to Take Place August 5
It happens once every five years, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will once again be holding elections. Now that the candidates have been chosen by the government, the people get to vote for these candidates.
If the 2003 elections are any indication, the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland appears likely to hold onto its seats again. The front swept all 687 seats in a landslide victory that year, winning reelection with 100% of the vote.
With all of the election buzz, we decided to go out and talk to the candidates. I asked Sun Dong-ho, a parliamentary candidate, to tell me why, as a hypothetical North Korean voter, I should vote for him.
"If you don't vote for me, you will be executed," he told me. "Vote for me or die!"
He's got my vote.
Park Dae-song, another candidate, told us about one of the more pressing issues facing the Supreme People's Assembly. "We desperately need new rubberstamps to kiss His Glorious Presence and Dearest Leader who Makes All Life Possible in the Glorious Fatherland Kim Jong-il's ass.
"Our current rubberstamps have become worn, and we need new ones to really show that we support our Dear Leader."
When I asked Rhee Dong-hyun what he would do if elected, he explained, "I will approve His Brilliant and Majestic Exalted Royal Statuesque Splendid Ruler who Makes the Sun Rise and the Seasons Change to Bring Life Into the World Kim Jong-il's budget and his glorious increase in military spending. I will also be sure to honor the Eternal President of the Republic."
The Eternal President of the Republic, the highest office in the country, is held by Kim Il-sung, who (this is true) has been dead since 1994.
Polling places are being set up, and Suk Hyun-wook, a polling official who has asked not to be identified, showed me a typical Pyongyang voting booth. "As you can see, we use state-of-the-art Diebold touch-screen voting systems. If voters make a mistake, the machine will correct it. This way, we can rest assured that nobody ever casts the wrong vote."
At this time, the very nice man who has been assigned to keep tabs on me has suggested that I take a break from writing so that he can take me to his office to ask me some very friendly questions about my whereabouts over the last few days.
The Republic Newswire will bring you the results of the election on August 5.
