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| Sunday, 30 January 2005 |
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Candidate killed as Indian Kashmir votes in first municipal poll in 27 years SRINAGAR, India, Saturday (AFP) Voting for the first leg of municipal elections in Indian Kashmir after a 27-year gap began Saturday as suspected Islamic rebels gunned down a candidate and injured two others in seperate incidents hours before polling, police said. Polling stations opened at 8.00 am (0230 GMT) but balloting was slow in view of severe winter chill, an official said. The election has been spread over several days in order to provide maximum security cover to the candidates in the restive region.Civic elections have not been held due to an Islamic insurgency in Indian Kashmir and infighting among pro-India politicians and parties.Separatist politicians have traditionally boycotted elections in Kashmir, arguing they would not settle for anything less than a plebiscite in the Muslim-majority Himalayan region. The northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla were voting Saturday. The summer capital Srinagar and winter capital Jammu are scheduled to vote on February 1, with other districts following later. Violence hours ahead of the landmark municipal elections marred the atmosphere with Islamic militants killing a candidate and wounding two others. Late Friday, rebels barged into the house of a candidate in Pampore township, south of Srinagar and shot dead Ghulam Rasool Dhobi, a member of the region's main opposition National Conference party. A second candidate, a woman, representing the ruling Peoples Democratic Party from Pampore was shot and wounded overnight. In another incident, an independent candidate from northern Sopore town was wounded when militants fired on him, a police spokesman said. |
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