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| Korea |
| SMH: Korean poll may be start of political upheaval |
| 2003-08-03 |
| uh huh - same as the 105% turnout for Sammy’s "reelection"? Ahhh the Sydney Morning North Koreans went to the polls yesterday, but as all the candidates ran unopposed there will be no electoral surprises. no shit? Even so, North Korea watchers say that the parliamentary election could be a prelude to political and economic changes. democracy coming? how about breakfast, can we at least get sumpthin to eat? We’re STARVING! Kim Jong-il, who took over the country’s leadership when his father, Kim Il-sung, died in 1994, is expected to use the election to consolidate his hold over the political apparatus. Analysts said Mr Kim, 61, would bring a new generation into the government and move away from the rigid socialism espoused by his father in favour of market reforms. "This election will officially mark the beginning of the Kim Jong-il era," said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea specialist at Dongkuk University, Seoul Kim Young-su, a North Korea scholar with Sogang University, also in Seoul, said: "They need to effect a generational change; they need modern educated young representatives." North Korea holds elections to the 687-strong Supreme People’s Assembly - which meets infrequently, mainly to rubber stamp the annual budget - about every five years. North Koreans also cast ballots for candidates for thousands of seats on local ruling committees. There was little suspense, because the unopposed candidates had already been selected by the nation’s Socialist Youth Alliance. There is speculation in Seoul that Mr Kim might have himself named as North Korea’s president at the first meeting of the newly elected assembly, which is expected to take place on September 9. The post of president has been vacant since Kim Il-sung’s death. Kim Jong-il holds the titles of chairman of the national defence committee, commander of the military and secretary-general of the ruling workers’ party. North Korea watchers also say Mr Kim might use the post-election period to change the constitution - along the same lines as constitutional changes enacted in China under Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to provide a legal framework for economic changes. Mr Koh said: "Up until now Kim Jong-il was continuing what his father left behind - but they are realising that they can’t cope with the changing world environment." Mr Kim may also want what will look like a resounding endorsement of his leadership as the country is locked in a high-stakes showdown with the United States over nuclear weapons. that way he gets credit in the history books for turning his hellhole into a smokin’ hole in the ground: "See? We cured hunger. All the dead peasants are no longer hungry" Pyongyang yesterday described the US undersecretary of state John Bolton as "human scum" for criticising Mr Kim, although it will still join US-proposed multilateral talks on its suspected development of nuclear weapons. The North said it would not deal with Mr Bolton. He also called Mr Kim a "tyrannical dictator" and said life was "a hellish nightmare" for many North Koreans. The North’s official news agency KCNA quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying: "Such human scum and bloodsucker is not entitled to take part in the talks." But Pyongyang’s decision to hold six-country talks on the nuclear issue was unchanged. Kewl...spittle and venom I give it a 6 only because it was so short |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #3 Shit! Another COFFEE Alert!!! |
| Posted by: ·com 2003-8-3 6:41:56 PM |
| #2 Let's drop a million Pizza Hut coupons in North Korea - buy one, get one free, large mushroom, black olive, and white slag. Only available in Chinatown, USA. Don't be late, offer expires when the mushroom cloud appears... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-8-3 3:46:55 PM |
| #1 Wow, I bet Mr. Bolton will never recover from that. |
| Posted by: Matt 2003-8-3 1:24:57 PM |