"India allows foreign diplomats to observe first elections in Kashmir in 10 years":
SRINAGAR, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Foreign diplomats from 15 countries were allowed to observe local elections in India's Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, as New Delhi highlighted the
first vote in the disputed Himalayan territory in a decade.
It was the first time India has invited foreign diplomats to witness voting in the region, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government stripped of its partial autonomy five years ago, though Delhi has hosted similar trips on other occasions and a G20 meeting on tourism there last year.
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Aup. says: It is not the first time that this was done. Foreign observers were allowed in earlier elections also)
The visitors included diplomats from embassies of the United States, Mexico, Singapore, Spain and South Korea, among others, officials in Srinagar and New Delhi said. They visited polling stations across the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley.
"It is a rare opportunity to come to Kashmir and see the electoral process in action and see democracy. It looks very smooth, everything is very professional," said Jorgan K Andrews, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy.
Jammu and Kashmir is India's only Muslim-majority territory and has been at the centre of a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan since 1947. India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part, after having fought two of their three wars over the region.
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Aup. says: Yeah, Jammu & Kashmir is the only Muslim-majority territory, but we also have three Christian-Majority regions - Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya in Eastern India)
"When foreign governments comment (on Kashmir), the government of India says this is an internal matter for India, and now suddenly they want foreign observers to come and look at our elections," said Omar Abdullah, leader of the local National Conference party.
"Jammu and Kashmir elections are an internal matter for us and we do not need their certificate," he said, after casting his vote.
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Aup. says: Mr. Abdullah and others in opposition did not like the visit of diplomats because they would say that they did not find any coercion in the elections. Government did not allow foreign media correspondents
because they spread false news (BBC, Guardian, NYT and Washington Post being the foremost among them). Reuters and Associated Press reported this:
Residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir have voted in the second phase of a staggered election for a local government, which were not boycotted by separatists like last few elections.
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