North Korea called for residents to cast their ballots and "fulfill their duties as members of the republic" as the reclusive regime was set to hold its first local elections featuring more than one candidate Sunday.

Pyongyang was set to hold local elections to pick new deputies for local assemblies of provinces, cities and counties across the nation. In what appeared to be an intention to introduce competition in the election system, some constituencies fielded two candidates.

Under the recently revised election law, the North held a preliminary election to decide on a final candidate for new deputies of local assemblies, after reviewing the qualifications of two candidates. The final candidate was then allowed to meet with voters during their election campaigns.

"Members of the highly dignified republic should fulfill their duties," the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said in an editorial, saying, "People can look back at the love and consideration they received from the party and the state through election."

The newspaper said the election is an "important political opportunity" to elect deputies who are "firmly acknowledged as people who strive to find and do even one thing that is meaningful and good for the state and the people."

In a separate article, the newspaper criticized the US election system as "promoted as a fair election based on freedom and equality" but is actually a "sophism aimed at covering up the true character of a rotten and ailing capitalist society."

The newspaper also claimed there are many requirements for taking part in elections in the US, such as race, wealth and the level of intelligence, adding election results in capitalist societies largely depend on bribing voters.

The North holds local elections every four years, and the number of seats is determined by the population of each area. But the elections are widely viewed as a formality, as the candidates are selected by the North's ruling party and rubber-stamped into office.

South Korea's unification ministry has said the recent change in the North's election system does not indicate the introduction of free elections in the reclusive regime and is rather seen as an attempt to manage public opinion amid prolonged economic difficulties. (Yonhap)