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Voters line up to cast their ballots to elect deputies to the 13th Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang. AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon

It's election day in North Korea and people have one option: 'Yes'.

In the absence of any competing candidates, voters are simply required to mark “Yes” next to the name on the ballot sheet.

NORTH KOREANS HAVE voted in a pre-determined election for a rubber-stamp parliament an exercise that doubles as a national head count and may offer clues to power shifts in Pyongyang.

The vote to elect representatives for the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) was taking place as scheduled, the state-run KCNA news agency said, adding that voter turnout was a whopping 91 percent as of 2.00 pm local-time.

Those who are ill or infirm and cannot travel to polling stations are casting votes at special “mobile ballot boxes,” it added.

“Overjoyed” voters rushed to polling stations across the country from early in the morning, it claimed, adding many danced and played music on the street in praise of the leader, Kim Jong-Un.

The North’s state TV showed hundreds of people across the country clad in brightly-coloured traditional dresses dancing in circle on the street.

State-run media have in recent weeks stepped up propaganda to promote the election, with a number of poems produced to celebrate voting under titles including “The Billows of Emotion and Happiness” and “We Go To Polling Station.”

Apart from the physical casting of votes, there is nothing democratic about the ballot. The results are a foregone conclusion, with only one approved candidate standing for each of the 687 districts.

It was the first election to the SPA under the leadership of Kim, who took over the reins of power on the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, in December 2011.

And like his father before him, Kim stood as a candidate, in constituency number 111, Mount Paektu.

Koreans have traditionally attributed divine status to Mount Paektu and, according to the North’s official propaganda, Kim Jong-Il was born on its slopes.

TV footage showed hundreds of soldiers queuing up at a polling station in constituency number 111 and dancing in unison on the street to festive music.

image

People gather to watch performers near an election site in the Central District  in Pyongyang. (Pic: AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

Portraits of Kim’s late father and grandfather were hung on the wall behind the ballot box. Soldiers deeply bowed to the portraits after casting their votes.

“I gave the vote, the evidence of my loyalty, to our supreme leader comrade,” one soldier said in a TV interview.

Elections are normally held every five years to the SPA, which only meets once or twice a year, mostly for a day-long session, to rubber-stamp budgets or other decisions made by the ruling Workers’ Party.

The last session in April 2013 adopted a special ordinance formalising the country’s position as a nuclear weapons state, a status that both South Korea and the United States have vowed not to recognise.

The real interest for outside observers is the final list of candidates or winners both lists being identical.

Many top Korean officials are members of the parliament, and the election is an opportunity to see if any established names are absent.

It comes at a time of heightened speculation over the stability of Kim’s regime.

Kim has already overseen sweeping changes within the North’s ruling elite — the most dramatic example being the execution of his powerful uncle and political mentor Jang Song-Thaek in December on charges of treason and corruption.

In the absence of any competing candidates, voters are simply required to mark “yes” next to the name on the ballot sheet.

“Let us all cast ‘yes’ votes,” said one of many election banners that state TV showed being put up in the capital Pyongyang.

And they do.

The official turnout at the last election in 2009 was put at 99.98 percent of registered voters, with 100 percent voting for the approved candidate in each seat.

© – AFP 2014

Read: Sad scenes as families are reunited for first time since Korean War >

Read: Here are just some of North Korea’s human rights abuses >

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    Mute Honest Tom
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:49 AM

    I remember we had a democratic vote here in this Country in 2008. The Country voted no to the Lisbon treaty only to be told that actually lads that’s not the answer were looking for, we’ll have to do that again until we get the right answer.

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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:58 AM

    Yes and the media never said a bad word about this erosion of democracy we only have the illusion of choice

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    Mute Fergal Kelly
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:29 AM

    Yet people were stupid enough to vote yes the second time

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    Mute James Anthony Watson
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:00 AM

    Well said Tom, we can be just the lackey the North Koreans are, at least when it comes to the EU referendums

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:03 AM

    In fairness they were told to vote yes for jobs if I remember correctly Fergal……

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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:16 AM

    You’re right Kerry I remember seeing that promise about jobs on posters and thinking these politicians would say mass and the sad part is people will believe it
    Those jobs never came more broken promises when are people going to wake up from their brainwashed state of sheep

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    Mute Ancient History
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:26 AM

    When they put yes for jobs on the posters I thought people could never be so stupid. I was proved wrong again.

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    Mute Liam Connors
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    Mar 9th 2014, 1:05 PM

    You are bemoaning that you were allowed to vote for a second time on something? Given that the vote went through it is obvious the decision to hold a vote again was right. What people want can change you know. And it did in this case. But no, pretend the EU is North Korea – because that’s more fun

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    Mute Liam Connors
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    Mar 9th 2014, 1:16 PM

    Ah come on really? Are you suggesting a political slogan on a poster constitutes a promise? If it does how are you measuring whether this promise was fulfilled? Do you have stats on where unemployment would be if Lisbon hadn’t been passed? What time period are you measuring over?

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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 9th 2014, 1:41 PM

    Liam
    Maybe when you grow up and start thinking like a man you will understand that one vote should of been enough. I’m not sure if you are immature or trolling.

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    Mute Liam Connors
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    Mar 9th 2014, 1:56 PM

    Are you actually on a thread about North Korea complaining that people in Ireland are asked for their opinion in votes too often? You are just trotting out the usual anti EU nonsense without thinking it through.

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    Mute Honest Tom
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    Mar 9th 2014, 3:33 PM

    As yourself something Liam. Do you honestly think the people would have been afforded the oppourtunity to vote again if the result of the first referendum was yes? Or were we simply allowed to vote again because the powers that be wanted a different answer.

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    Mute Malachi Shanks
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:47 AM

    Democracy at its best , Yes or die

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Mar 9th 2014, 3:11 PM

    Still more cost-effective than our model. “We’ll keep running it until we get a yes.”

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    Mute Joe Bergin
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    Mar 9th 2014, 4:44 PM

    I couldn’t get this on paddy power. :(

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    Mute Vril Haarp
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:56 AM

    91% turnout? North Koreas population set to decrease by 9% so

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    Mute joe stodge
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:24 AM

    Soylent green production up by 9%

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    Mute Diarmaid Mac Aonghusa
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    Mar 9th 2014, 12:00 PM

    That’s 91% by 2pm – the other 9% will be along shortly.

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    Mute Lm group
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:44 AM

    Not much different here, you might have 4 or 5 choices but at the end of the day it’s all the same, jobs for the boys and big pensions,

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    Mute jeremycash
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:59 AM

    Because that’s what the people want, anyone can go on the ballot

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    Mute O'Reilly
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:01 AM

    You do great disservice to those living under such regimes. Ireland can change its leadership if people don’t like it. They cannot. Muppet…

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    Mute Kris O Kay Kay
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:06 AM

    Very similar to the voting system in Co Louth…

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:21 AM

    No it’s not Kris. The people of Louth democratically vote for their TDs. The people of North Korea don’t. But sure don’t let that get in the way of any opportunity to knock Sinn Féin. Something something child abuse. Something something the disappeared. Something something something something.

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    Mute Lm group
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:32 AM

    Just like we can change Lisbon and nice

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    Mute O'Reilly
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:41 AM

    Even bigger Muppet Lm…

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    Mute Lm group
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:01 AM

    O Reilly go back to school tosser

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    Mute Kris O Kay Kay
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    Mar 9th 2014, 1:07 PM

    Beware of the voices Roland…

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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Mar 9th 2014, 1:29 PM

    Only every 4yrs we can change in the mean time a government can destroy a country like FG is doing very well.

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    Mute Free Dom
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    Mar 9th 2014, 1:32 PM

    We can change the ‘leadership’ but only their name? Fianna Fail, Fine Gael they are all the fianna same.

    Change will only mattet when the people who ‘govern’ us do so for the benefit of ALL the people.

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    Mute Dermot O Dwyer
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:52 AM

    There won’t be too many spoilt votes in that Election.

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    Mute Amphroaí Ó hAipilbí
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:41 AM

    North Korea is Best Korea.

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    Mute Spud Jones
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:26 AM

    人人生来自由,在尊严和权利上一律平等。他们有理性和良心,请以手足关系的精神相对待。
    Now stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

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    Mute Alan Quinn
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:49 AM

    ليس هناك شيء أكثر خطورة من احمق الحيلة.
    I think this is more appropriate for you Spud Jones

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    Mute The Irish Ranger
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:17 AM

    Actually this is korean》멍청이! Translate that.

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    Mute Tennis Leadog
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    Mar 9th 2014, 12:49 PM

    I don’t like spiders.

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    Mute Spud Jones
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    Mar 9th 2014, 1:06 PM

    Your on the wrong continent there Alan

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:33 AM

    Shame The Government didn’t just fill out the forms for them and let them have a lie in on Sunday morning. Poor form.

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    Mute Timmytime
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:12 AM

    Those North Koreans could learn a thing or two from us paddies. We don’t need the threat of execution to do what we’re told. We just do it like lemmings.

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    Mute Ben Redline
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:45 AM

    I know who I’d be voting for

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    Mute Cathal Fergus
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:22 AM

    I voted no to the Lisbon treaty and then what happened? So don’t even try have a go about North Korean, Irish Government are cowards

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    Mute The Polar Bear
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:01 AM

    Seems legit

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    Mute Ian Carty
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:13 AM

    Didn’t we vote twice on the same referenda a few times?

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    Mute tmwtbc
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:31 AM

    I think so, wasn’t Nice voted on twice?

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    Mute Ian Carty
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:37 AM

    Yep and Lisbon. They don’t do democracy here either.

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    Mute Neal •IntoYourHead
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:56 AM

    Yes but our referenda have two boxes.

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    Mute Ian Carty
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:00 AM

    Touche

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    Mute Niall H
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    Mar 9th 2014, 9:50 AM

    Ya see ireland hey……it’s not the worst!

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    Mute Philip Nicholls
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:41 AM

    apparently in DPRK you can vote No once in your life but it isn’t recommended

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    Mute darnell
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:24 AM

    Dear Leader makes me happy in pants.

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    Mute Shane Gibbons
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    Mar 9th 2014, 12:53 PM

    I for one wish to welcome our glorious leader – Kim Jong Merkell and praise be for the gift of austerity that has been bestowed upon us.

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    Mute David Thomas
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:40 AM

    The only difference between dictatorships and democracy is we can vote for different dictators.

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    Mute Neal •IntoYourHead
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:55 AM

    At least it leaves very little opportunity for interfering with the count and changing the outcome.

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    Mute Steve M
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    Mar 9th 2014, 7:58 PM

    “When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty.”

    Thomas Jefferson

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    Mute Peadar O Buaigh
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    Mar 9th 2014, 6:17 PM

    The headline could also apply to an Irish Referendum concerning Europe!

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    Mute jeremycash
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    Mar 9th 2014, 12:08 PM

    The Irish love democracy when their team are winning …

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    Mute James Kiernan
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    Mar 9th 2014, 12:52 PM

    Bit like the irish electorate and fine fail during the boom…..except irish people actually had a choice!

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    Mute Rob Gill
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    Mar 9th 2014, 7:01 PM

    All Western Propaganda. North Korea is a paradise. We in Ireland could learn so much about how a centrally planned economy is so much better for us. Oh, we voted twice for a referendum – Ireland is just the same as North Korea.

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    Mute PåddÿGooner.
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    Mar 9th 2014, 11:10 PM

    Sad!

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    Mute Ian Mac Eochagáin
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    Mar 9th 2014, 10:32 PM

    “We go to polling station”. Now, I don’t know anything about Korean, but I’m willing to bet the original title of this song sounded grammatical. Why, then, was it not translated as “We go to the polling station”? By leaving out the definite article, the author is attempting to make the supposedly ignorant locals sound barbarous, with Tarzan-like speech. Poor form.

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