Jammu and Kashmir phase 2 poll: Diplomats from 16 foreign missions witness assembly election process
Jammu and Kashmir assembly election: The aim is to showcase the “peaceful conduct of the electoral process” and “participation of people at a large scale”
Jammu and Kashmir assembly election: The central government on Wednesday took a delegation of diplomats from 16 countries, including the US, Norway and Singapore, a polling station in Ompora area of Budgam district to witness the phase 2 polling process of the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) assembly election.
The trip is a part of efforts to showcase the democratic transition in the union territory.
The delegation comprised diplomats from Delhi-based missions of the US, Mexico, Guyana, South Korea, Somalia, Panama, Singapore, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Tanzania, Rwanda, Algeria and the Philippines, people familiar with the matter said.
Most of the embassies are represented by their Charge d'affaires and deputy chief of missions, they said.
Others are represented by political officers at minister-counselor and counselor ranks.
This is perhaps for the first time since the eruption of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir that foreign observers have been allowed to witness the elections. The earlier governments stoically dismissed any suggestion of allowing international observers into Jammu and Kashmir during polls.
The Centre invited the foreign delegates with the objective of showcasing the peaceful poll process and the good voter turnout that has been witnessed since the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.
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The aim is to showcase the “peaceful conduct of the electoral process” and “participation of people at a large scale”, as this phase is considered the “most feasible” to organise such a visit, The Indian Express reported quoting an official.
The foreign diplomatic team will also visit Srinagar district, and likely to skip Jammu.
The assembly election is the first such exercise in J&K in a decade and comes after the abrogation of special status under Article 370 and degradation of statehood into a Union territory. It also comes after a controversial delimitation exercise earmarked 47 assembly seats for Kashmir and 43 for Jammu in its final order.
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Reacting to the visit, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah questioned the need for guided tours when the union government refuses to accept any international criticism of its actions in J&K. "If diplomats can be brought on guided jaunts, why have all foreign journalists – including those with OCI cards – had their requests for permission to cover the elections turned down?,” he asked while speaking to The Indian Express.
PDP spokesperson Waheed Para said the credit for successful conduct of elections should be given to the people and their urge to get a representation in power. “On one hand, the government says we don’t want any interference from outside and no international attention on Kashmir, and on the other, they hold G20 and showcase people’s participation as their own success story," he added.
The BJP welcomed the visit and questioned the need to oppose a visit which aims to show “the festival of democracy being celebrated in a free, fair and transparent manner”. "We are only opposed to outside interference of any kind,” said chief spokesperson of J&K BJP Sunil Sethi.