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North Korea Mentions Dissenting Votes in Recent Elections
Analysts Dismiss Announcement as Insignificant
SEOUL, Nov 28 (Reuters) -
North Korea on Tuesday made a rare mention of dissenting votes in recent elections, although analysts dismissed it as an insignificant gesture.
The country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that during the November 21-22 elections for the country's Supreme People's Assembly, 0.2% of voters cast "no" votes or abstained.
This is the first time North Korea has acknowledged dissenting votes in an election since 1984.
However, analysts say the announcement is likely an attempt to give the appearance of legitimacy to the elections, which are widely seen as a rubber-stamp process for the country's leadership.
"This is a meaningless gesture," said Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Kookmin University in Seoul. "The elections are not free or fair, and the results are predetermined by the regime."
While the mention of dissenting votes may be a sign of some loosening of control by the regime, analysts say it is unlikely to lead to any significant political reforms.
Financial Times
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