North Korea Acknowledges Dissenting Votes in Elections
Rare Admission of Discrepancies
Pyongyang, November 28 (Reuters)
In an unusual move, North Korea has acknowledged that dissenting votes were cast in recent regional elections. While the country holds elections every four years, only one candidate is typically permitted to run.
On March 10, 2019, parliamentary elections were held in North Korea to select members of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly. According to official results, the ruling Workers' Party of Korea secured 100% of the seats, with no dissenting votes reported.
However, a recent report by the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) mentioned that a "small number" of voters had cast dissenting votes in some constituencies. The report did not provide specific figures or indicate whether any candidates had been defeated.
The acknowledgment of dissenting votes is a rare occurrence in North Korea, where elections are tightly controlled and dissent is suppressed. The reasons behind the decision to publicize this information remain unclear.
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