Political Parties in North Korea

[Mister X]

I just found out that there are 3 political parties allowed in North Korea. 2 others besides the Workers Party and they are all in a coalition.
Can someone tell me some information about the electoral system in North Korea? Do those "3" parties run candidates opposing eachother?
How does their system of "workers democracy" work?

[LOLseph Stalin]

How does their system of "workers democracy" work?

North Korea is Democratic? Damn Capitalist propaganda! >: (

[Mister X]

North Korea is Democratic? Damn Capitalist propaganda! >: (

I never claimed that it is democratic. Instead if you read my posts in the DPRK thread you'll see that i advocate the opposite.

I just wanted to learn how this mock system works, because it is obviously a mock system out of curiosity.

[LOLseph Stalin]

I never claimed that it is democratic. Instead if you read my posts in the DPRK thread you'll see that i advocate the opposite.

I just wanted to learn how this mock system works, because it is obviously a mock system out of curiosity.

Hmm...mock seems like the right word. I'm not fond of North Korea at all. Sarcasm never works over the internet.:unsure:

[Die Neue Zeit]

I never claimed that it is democratic. Instead if you read my posts in the DPRK thread you'll see that i advocate the opposite.

I just wanted to learn how this mock system works, because it is obviously a mock system out of curiosity.

Like the popular front (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_front#Popular_Fronts_governments_in_the_So viet_Bloc) governments in Eastern Europe, I'm sure at least one of the non-ruling parties is an agrarian party. :)

[Revy]

There is one big party, the Workers' Party. And then two other parties that exist to support the Workers' Party, the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chongdoist Chongu Party (a party of the Chongduist religion, which is similar to Buddhism).

These parties are all part of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland.

The level "democracy" plays in the regime is probably obvious, but since it upsets so many emotions here, I won't be inclined to state the obvious another time.

[Mister X]

The level "democracy" plays in the regime is probably obvious, but since it upsets so many emotions here, I won't be inclined to state the obvious another time.

There is no problem with you stating the obvious here. I too stated it so did NHIA , so did Q-Collective in the thread you are reffering. You just come off as an idealist liberal which I think you are not. You should seriously understand how the degenerated workers states deserve our full support although we criticize their bureaucracy.

Seriously you reminded me of a CNN correspondent instead of a revolutionary leftist.

[Revy]

There is no problem with you stating the obvious here. I too stated it so did NHIA , so did Q-Collective in the thread you are reffering. You just come off as an idealist liberal which I think you are not. You should seriously understand how the degenerated workers states deserve our full support although we criticize their bureaucracy.

Seriously you reminded me of a CNN correspondent instead of a revolutionary leftist.

I am not like a CNN correspondent, or an idealist liberal. These are just thrown out as pejoratives. I don't have to support "states", I support the workers of all countries and a socialist revolution.

Is that hard to understand? You're not for "world revolution" otherwise, and no, there's no "revolution" going on in North Korea when there is a dictatorship. It's an authoritarian state capitalist regime. And how revealing is it that one of those parties calls itself the Social Democratic Party? There's quite a continuum between Stalinism and social democracy.

[Wanted Man]

Hey stancel, if you want to score points, why not just respond to NHIA here (http://www.revleft.com/vb/dprk-t97804/index.html) instead of advertising your ignorance in other threads? Oh wait, that would require actual thought.

Also, how revealing is it that one of those parties calls itself the Chongdoist party? There's quite a continuum between Stalinism and Chongdoism... :rolleyes:

(says the social-democrat himself...)

[Mister X]

Also, how revealing is it that one of those parties calls itself the Chongdoist party? There's quite a continuum between Stalinism and Chongdoism... http://www.revleft.com/vb/../revleft/smilies/001_rolleyes.gif


I hate making posts like that but because the system doesn't allow me to give you reputation since I already gave you not long ago, I want to congratulate you for your post here. You made me laugh!

[spartan]

I imagine that the North Korean political system works the same way as the so-called democratic countries political systems work.

Basically you have 2 or 3 main parties taking the majority of seats in a legislature and who have very little real ideological difference between them (though the 'opposition' parties may latch onto something which the electorate find popular, especially in the non-socialist western democratic nations).

The parties merely exist to keep up the facade that your country is somehow 'democratic' because it has more then one party.

Every ten years or so the parties switch positions with the 'opposition' becoming the government and the previous government becoming the 'opposition'.

It kinda reminds me of the whole "Ocenia has always been at war with Eastasia" crap from 1984 though in North Korea it appears to be slightly different as there is no periodic change of government between the parties because they are all in coalition.

[Demogorgon]

The other two parties are just Satellites of the Worker's Party and they do not run candidates against one another. The North Korean electoral system is theoretically the French style two round system in single member constituencies, but in practice there is only ever one candidate, selected by the party leadership, so the legislature is de facto appointed.

Some people wish to play down the level of dictatorship in North Korea or even claim it is Democratic, presumably because it feels better to think of there being another country "onside", but the truth is there is no public debate of policy, no input from the people, nasty consequences for opposing the Government and indeed such a tight control on information that there would be no possibility of the people making informed choices even if they were allowed to.

I have seen some people try to compare the system to Cuba, but while Cuba is also a dictatorship, there is at least popular input on the functioning of local Government, some degree of public opposition to the Government and the opposition to vote against Government candidates in elections even if the system is rigged to ensure the Government always wins. None of these concessions exist in North Korea. You will notice that in other Dictatorships around the world you hear of opposition leaders being harassed, prevented from talking to the media and being put in and out of prison on various petty or trumped up charges. In other words the opposition is repressed, but at least it is visible and people know about it. You don't hear about that in North Korea because the opposition isn't merely repressed, it is completely silenced.

No doubt the usual suspects shall accuse me of repeating "bourgeoisie lies", so I will give them fair opportunity to defend themselves:

1. Give an example of the North Korean Government either having a policy defeated in a vote or else withdrawing it due to public opposition.

2. Give an example of a Government sponsored candidate losing an election to an opposition candidate.

3. Give an example of public opposition figures in North Korea operating freely and with wide access to the North Korean media.

4. Give an example of a policy opposed by the Government being enacted by the people through whatever means you choose to claim are the manifestation of democracy in North Korea.

[Demogorgon]

A dodge and a poor one at that. To accuse me of being the one making assertions is to ignore the fact that you are the one making claims extraordinarily divorced from the generally accepted position. The notion that North Korea is a democracy is so far removed from reality in fact that anybody claiming it is going to have to come up with some pretty good evidence.

Trying to shift the discussion to the United States and its flaws or playing word games as to what the word dictatorship means is not going to cut it. You must demonstrate that opposing the Government in North Korea can lead to anything other than work camps at best and execution at worse.

Give an example of the democratic process at work in North Korea and show a specific case where the people chose a different course of action to the one the Government was advocating or voted for a person opposed to the Government or admit you are wrong. If you cannot come up with a single example of such, events that can be found even in most dictatorships from then that speaks volumes.

[Mister X]

Honestly, it's gets incredibly old replying to the same crap over and over, as Wanted Man has pointed out. It's always the same shallow, liberal type of garbage passed off as fact

Considering that most users are young people who grew up listening to the same crap over and over again while they have no experience in evolutionary left politics what else do you expect?
We shouldn't just bash them for being liberals.
That brings up the need of a FAQ on Cuba, the DPRK and the Soviet Union with Marxist(Preferably Trotskyist) analysis on those countries.
Just to inform people on the diference between liberal bullshit and marxist criticism( or Trotskyist bullshit hehe) .


You're obviously not paying attention. I never said north Korea was democratic. I haven't seen anyone else do so either. You're arguing with shadows.

Again: Communist perspectives on Korea (http://www.anonym.to/?http://revper.org/news.php?extend.9)

I don't think that most people bother reading long posts.