(MENAFN- Arab Times) North Koreans are voting Sunday to approve members of the rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly. Each of the 687 districts has only one candidate running for office, with
Electors required to write only "yes" or "no" on the ballot pape
It is the first election to the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un, who took over the reins of power on the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, in December 201
Like his father before him, Kim is standing as a candidate, in constituency number 111, Mount Paekt
The vote is being held in a holiday atmosphere in the capital, Pyongyang, with performances taking place in the stree
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' Part
The last session in April 2013 adopted a special ordinance formalizing the country's position as a nuclear weapons state, a status that both South Korea and the United States have vowed not to recogniz
Many top Korean officials are members of the parliament, and the election is an opportunity to see if any are removed from the ballot shee
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 corruptio
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 sea
For the North Korean authorities, the vote effectively doubles as a census, as election officials visit every home in the country to ensure all registered voters are present and correct.
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