financially support the Japan Socialist Party. In exchange for $10 million in contracts with the USSR, these companies provided $100,000 to the Japan Socialist Party. Korea 1948 election (by United Nations and the Soviet Union) The 1948 Korean elections were overseen primarily by the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea, or UNTCOK. The United States planned to hold separate elections in the south of the peninsula, a plan which was opposed by Australia, Canada and Syria as members of the commission. According to Gordenker, the commission acted: in such a way as to affect the controlling political decisions regarding elections in Korea. Moreover, UNTCOK deliberately and directly took a hand in the conduct of the 1948 election. Conversely the Soviet Union forbade such elections in the north of the peninsula all together. Faced with this, UNTCOK eventually recommended the election take place only in the south, but that the results would be binding on all of Korea. Laos 1955 election (by United States) According to documents provided by the State Department Office of the Historian, the US government funded the Royal Lao Army, gave money to the government and provided food aid to villages to end supports for communism. 1958 election (by United States) According to documents provided by the State Department Office of the Historian, the US government deeply feared a possible Pathet Lao victory in Laos' elections. In response, they gave money to the royal government in order to carry out projects to boost living standards in rural villages (such as constructing schools, roads, medical facilities, wells and general building repairs). The program cost around $500,000. The US government also directly funded conservative candidates. 1960 election (by United States and Thailand) During the 1960 elections, the US and Thailand covertly funded the Committee for the Defence of National Interests and bribed their opponents to withdraw. The elections were rigged and marked with extensive fraud. This helped contribute to the 1960 Laotian coups. 1967 election (by United States) According to former CIA agent and US diplomat James R. Lilley the CIA worked to ensure "favorable" outcomes in the National Assembly of Laos. He claims "we thought it was important for Vang Pao to have more of a say in the political governing of the country. We figured out whom to support without letting our fingerprints show. As part of our nation building" effort in Laos, we pumped a relatively