North Korean parliamentary election, 2009
The parliamentary elections in North Korea in 2009 was the election to the 12th Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea. It took place on 8 March 2009.
Originally, the ballot had to be held on August 3, 2008. Kim Jong- il is said to have suffered a stroke in August 2008, so the election was postponed.
Electoral system
Like the last elections in North Korea, it was a ballot without choice between different political groupings. Thus came into each constituency exactly a candidate to who belonged to the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland.
The North Korean leader Kim Jong- il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, took in constituency No. 333 and was chosen according to official data, 100 percent of the vote at 100 percent turnout returned to Parliament.
Contrary to the expectations of foreign observers was Kim's son, Kim Jong-un is not among the candidates. This could have been thus brought as a possible successor at the head of the state into play.
Protests in the run-up to
The choice was largely without incident. However, it came in the run-up in some areas to sabotage. So few election posters were destroyed in Munduk in the province P'yŏngan - namdo. Even against the election -related graffiti were seen. In sariwon Unknown put the building of a tobacco factory on fire, which should serve as a polling station. The North Korean authorities accused South Korea of wanting to sabotage the election. Vandalism against public institutions or government-critical utterances are severely punished in North Korea.
Result
A total of 687 MPs were elected. The turnout was 99.98 percent according to official figures. In the previous elections following election turnouts were reported: 1998 there were 99.85 percent and 99.90 percent in 2003.
- Workers' Party of Korea
- Korean Social Democratic Party
- Chondoistische Ch'ŏngu Party
Member of Parliament
In addition to Kim Jong- il several politicians of the top leadership of North Korea were re-elected to the Supreme People's Assembly. For example, the chairman of the parliament presidium of the last Parliament, Kim Yong- nam, the younger brother of Kim Il-sung and Deputy Chairman of the Parliament Bureau Kim Yong -chu, the sister of Kim Jong -il and Chairman of the Department of Light Industry of the Central Committee of the WPK, Kim Kyong - Hui and her husband Chang Sung- taek, Foreign Minister Pak Ui - chun, his deputy Kang Sok -ju, the Council of Ministers Chairman Kim Yong -il, the chairman of the Chondoistischen Ch'ŏngu Party Ryu Mi- yong and the chairman of the Korean social Democratic Party ( KSDP ) Kim Yong -dae.