A Democratic Republic is a republic (non-monarchy) whose government system is based on some form of democracy. Currently the Democratic Republic of Congo, East Timor, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Sri Lanka label themselves as democratic republics. Algeria, Laos, and North Korea call themselves Democratic People's Republics. The governments of many of these states do not meet the western definition of democracy. States such as North Korea argue they are democracies as they are committed to the good of the general population, even if they are not directly selected by them.