North Korea Election Results - Kim Jong Il wins 100 percent of vote with 99.9 percent turnout

Reuters | August 4, 2003

[HAL9000]

North Korea Hails 100 Percent Poll Support for Leader Kim Jong Il

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Monday that polls in which voters gave leader Kim Jong-il 100 percent support showed the communist state was "firm as a rock" in the face of economic woes and isolation over its nuclear ambitions.

The 61-year-old Kim was one of 687 deputies elected unopposed on Sunday for seats in North Korea's rubber-stamp legislature, the Supreme People's Assembly.

North Korea's official KCNA news agency quoted the Central Election Committee as saying turnout was 99.9 percent of registered voters and that 100 percent of the votes were cast for the sole candidates.

"This is an expression of all the voters' support and trust in the DPRK government and a manifestation of our army and people's steadfast will to consolidate the people's power as firm as a rock and accomplish the revolutionary cause," KCNA said.

DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official title of the country of 22 million Kim has ruled since inheriting power upon the death of his father, state founder Kim Il-sung in 1994.

The election of Kim in a military district was "an expression of the absolute support and trust of all the servicemen and the people in him," KCNA said in a separate report.

North Korean state television showed rare footage of Kim turning out to vote at the Kim Il-sung Military University in Pyongyang. Wearing his customary synthetic leisure suit, Kim shook hands and received flowers from officers before voting.

"REVOLUTIONARY STAMINA"

Kim faces the challenge of reviving an economy, thought by outside experts to be near collapse and plagued by dire food and fuel shortages -- troubles compounded by North Korea's political isolation over its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

North Korea and the United States said last week they had agreed to hold six-way talks on the nuclear standoff. China, Japan, Russia and South Korea will also attend talks expected to take place in Beijing this month or next.

The prospect of fresh talks follows months of tension after Washington announced last October that Pyongyang had disclosed it was pursuing a covert nuclear weapons program.

Although North Korea's parliament nominally has the power to write laws, approve the cabinet and vote on the national budget, analysts said any changes in one of the world's most tightly controlled political systems would be implemented top down.

"If anything changes, it will happen at the top executive level and trickle down to the local bodies for support, but not from the legislative or local level," said Kim Hyung-joon, professor of political science at Seoul's Myungji University.

"This election will serve to gather support for the agenda that the North's administration seeks to carry out -- not that there will be any big change in the political climate," he said.

North Korean commentary gave no hint of any changes, instead stressing loyalty to what Pyongyang calls the "Songun" policy of giving the 1.1-million-strong army final say in state affairs.

"Through the election, the voters cemented the single-hearted unity of our army and people around their Great Leader and fully demonstrated the revolutionary stamina of Songun Korea where the headquarters of the revolution, the perfect unity and socialism represents a common destiny," KCNA said.

[HAL9000]

October 16, 2002 - Iraq - Saddam Wins 100 Percent in Referendum with 100 Percent Turnout - 11,454,638 say yes, 0 say no

[KC_Conspirator]

This strangely sounds like democrat elections in inner cities like Philadelphia, KC, San Fran, and St. Louis. Hmmm...

I can't wait for the idiots in the press to report on this fraudulent election as if it were genuine and free, much like they reported on Saddam's and all of Castro's (ahem) "elections".

[Threepwood]

Yay! It looked close, but Kim's finely tuned campaign machinery (which I believe was a collection of mechanical box compactors) won the day!

[goldstategop]

Its a Communist dictatorship. The results come as no surprise. And this is the regime Colon Bowell says we have no intention of overthrowing.

[gsrinok]

This strangely sounds like democrat elections in inner cities like Philadelphia, KC, San Fran, and St. Louis.

Sorry KC, but they only had 99.9% turnout. When the dims get out the vote, turnout is something like 115%. It's pretty impressive that people can actually rise from the grave to go vote.

[Jay D. Dyson]

Boy...they sure got some healthy people in those dictatorships. Nobody dies, falls ill, or is otherwise incapacitated from the time period between voter registration and election day.

Sorta like Saddam Hussein (a curse upon his moustache!) and his "elections." They always claimed 100% voter turnout.

Yeah, right. In a pig's eye.

-Jay

[piasa]

It's pretty impressive that people can actually rise from the grave to go vote.

What's even more impressive is that in St. Louis, even dead Republicans vote Democrat.

[Threepwood]

I always see these things and wonder: "Who is this FOR?" Is it for me, a foriegner? Not even the most benighted leftist would take this at face value. Is for his people? They aren't stupid, they know what the price for not voting is, and if they did or didn't. Or is it for fearless leader himself? He rigged the bloody thing, and knows that it's worthless. So for who? Beats me.

[gsrinok]

What's even more impressive is that in St. Louis, even dead Republicans vote Democrat.

Now that's bipartisanship!

[zarf]

Those Koreans should be proud to have such a healthy turnout. They put our turnout in the States to shame.

We are such a pathetic country compared to the glorious Kim and his utopia of North Korea.

USA bad. Great Leader's North Korea...so goody, good, good!

-Reuters

[Jay D. Dyson]

I always see these things and wonder: "Who is this FOR?"

I'll tell you who it's for: the scum-sucking United Nations sycophants, that's who. It legitimizes their support for tinpot dictators.

-Jay

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

Kim faces the challenge of reviving an economy, thought by outside experts to be near collapse

Im sorry...isnt this the same country where people in the northern regions have to eat tree bark just to stay alive? If that isnt warranted of a COLLAPSED economy then what the hell is?

[King Prout]

Kim evidently hired Saddam's Campaign Manager.

[yonif]

people's power as firm as a rock

Their power is as firm as a rock all right...rock's don't eat food, just like the North Korean people.

[yonif]

What percentage of precincts are reporting?

[Simmy2.5]

Whoa there. Pretty "impressive" results. 100% victory when running unopposed? Wow. I expected it to be a close race. </sarcasm>

[yonif]

Damn....I was rooting for Kim Jong Il.

[steveegg]

If that's a reliable indicator, that means that Krazy Kim will be evicted from his capital about January 27, 2004 and likely dead a few days before then.

I wonder if he has a couple of "krazier" kids that Uday and Qusay will soon be sharing a hot foot with.

[rintense]

I'm shocked, I tell you! Shocked!

[steveegg]

I'm shocked, I tell you! Shocked!

I hope you're sitting down for this prediction then; long before January 17, 2004, Kim Jong Il will be out of power and dead.