Diplomats from 15 countries arrive in J&K to witness festival of democracy

Srinagar, Sep 25 (IANS) A delegation of diplomats from 15 countries, including the US, Norway, Philippines, Algeria, Spain and South Africa, arrived here on Wednesday to witness the polling process taking place in J&K after a gap of 10 years.

Sources said the delegation of diplomats from the 15 countries arrived in the morning.

“The delegation will witness the people's participative voting at many polling stations. The over 61 per cent voting in the first phase of the J&K elections has re-affirmed the faith of the people of the union territory in the democratic process and the arrival of the diplomatic delegation to witness the same is the result of the success of India’s democracy in J&K,” sources said.

The delegation includes diplomats from the US, Spain, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Algeria, Nigeria, Panama, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Guyana, Mexico and Singapore.

Sources said the diplomats will visit some polling stations during the day to see for themselves the festival of democracy being celebrated in Kashmir to elect a representative government of the people.

The Legislative Assembly election is being held in three phases in J&K. Voting for the first phase ended with over 61 per cent voter turnout on September 18.

Voting for the second phase started at 7 a.m. Wednesday and will end at 6 p.m. A total of 25.78 lakh votes will decide the political fate of 239 candidates in six districts of J&K.

The Election Commission of India has established 3,502 polling stations across the six districts of J&K -- Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi in Jammu division and Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal in Kashmir.

Senior politicians, including former J&K Chief Minister and Vice president of National Conference Omar Abdullah, JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra, BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina, former Ministers Ali Mohammad Sagar, Asiya Naqash, Abdur Rahim Rather, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Choudhary Zulfiqar and J&K Apni Chief Syed Altaf Bukhari are in the electoral fray in the second phase.

Voting for the third and last phase of these elections will take place on October 1 and counting will be held on October 8.

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