Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI2788
2006-04-25 13:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
JAMMU & KASHMIR ASSEMBLY BY-ELECTIONS EXCEED
how-toVZCZCXRO3923 OO RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHMOS RUEHPW DE RUEHNE #2788/01 1151327 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 251327Z APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2958 INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1611 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 4866 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 4895 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 7857 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2745 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 5556 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 9507 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 7990 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3139 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 3348 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 3237 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 3495 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 2456 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 2511 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 3113 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0332 RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2588 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 002788
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM IN
SUBJECT: JAMMU & KASHMIR ASSEMBLY BY-ELECTIONS EXCEED
EXPECTATIONS
REF: A. 2004 NEW DELHI 2410
B. NEW DELHI 2365
C. 2004 NEW DELHI 2351
D. 2002 NEW DELHI 5330
E. 2002 NEW DELHI 5509
NEW DELHI 00002788 001.2 OF 003
Classified By: CDA Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 002788
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM IN
SUBJECT: JAMMU & KASHMIR ASSEMBLY BY-ELECTIONS EXCEED
EXPECTATIONS
REF: A. 2004 NEW DELHI 2410
B. NEW DELHI 2365
C. 2004 NEW DELHI 2351
D. 2002 NEW DELHI 5330
E. 2002 NEW DELHI 5509
NEW DELHI 00002788 001.2 OF 003
Classified By: CDA Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1. (SBU) Summary: Residents of four of Jammu & Kashmir's
Assembly constituencies came out in strength to vote in
by-elections on April 24, undaunted by threats and violence
in the third major exercise of electoral democracy in the
state since 2002. Another data point in the trend of
Kashmiris' growing efforts to secure normalcy and prosperity,
the highest voter turnout in 16 years--estimated at around 60
percent--indicates that residents were not intimidated by
pre-poll threats from terrorists, nor were they deterred by
separatists' call for an election boycott. Notably, locals
attributed the limited violence that did take place to
"election criminality," rather than terrorism. Local press
reports and EMBASSY observers commented that voters were
motivated by local issues, such as education and development,
rather than broader questions such as the India-Pakistan
relationship. End Summary.
High Voter Turnout Reflects Electoral Excitement
-------------- ---
2. (SBU) Indian press outlets are reporting that voters
largely ignored a call by separatists to boycott the polls
for the four Jammu & Kashmir Assembly seats being contested
on April 24. Total turnout reached about 60 percent -- well
above the 35 percent turnout for Lok Sabha elections in 2004
and the 42 percent turnout for Legislative Assembly elections
in 2002 (REF A) -- confirming the sense of excitement that
Poloff and Pol FSN observed during their visits to 11 polling
stations. On April 25, Jammu & Kashmir's Chief Electoral
Officer announced the following turnout figures for each of
the constituencies: Bhaderwah - 72 percent; Rafiabad - 66.2
percent; Pattan - 56.2 percent; Sangrama - 40.3 percent.
Despite a slow start at some polling places, Poloff and Pol
FSN witnessed queues several hundred people deep at sveral
locations by the afternoon. Extrapolating out their
observations, the government's overall turnout figure is
consistent with what Poloff and Pol FSN saw. As they
traveled, Poloff and Pol FSN were greeted by voters proudly
holding up their inked fingers to show that they had
exercised their franchise. At one polling station in
Sangrama, Poloff noted that a group of about 50 stood without
blocking the voting booths, and said within range of the
security forces that they were boycotting the election. The
only note-worthy impact of the separatists' boycott call
appeared to be the large-scale shuttering of shops near
Sopore and the more limited number of closed stores in
Pattan; it was business as usual in most other places, again
in contrast to the 2004 elections.
Importance of Local Issues Outweighs Boycott Calls
-------------- --------------
3. (C) Voters told Poloff and Pol FSN that they were voting
based on local issues, including education and development,
rather than on the basis of Indo-Pakistani relations, on
which separatist leaders have focused (REF B). Press reports
NEW DELHI 00002788 002.4 OF 003
NEW DELHI 00002788 003.4 OF 003
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM IN
SUBJECT: JAMMU & KASHMIR ASSEMBLY BY-ELECTIONS EXCEED
EXPECTATIONS
REF: A. 2004 NEW DELHI 2410
B. NEW DELHI 2365
C. 2004 NEW DELHI 2351
D. 2002 NEW DELHI 5330
E. 2002 NEW DELHI 5509
NEW DELHI 00002788 001.2 OF 003
Classified By: CDA Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1. (SBU) Summary: Residents of four of Jammu & Kashmir's
Assembly constituencies came out in strength to vote in
by-elections on April 24, undaunted by threats and violence
in the third major exercise of electoral democracy in the
state since 2002. Another data point in the trend of
Kashmiris' growing efforts to secure normalcy and prosperity,
the highest voter turnout in 16 years--estimated at around 60
percent--indicates that residents were not intimidated by
pre-poll threats from terrorists, nor were they deterred by
separatists' call for an election boycott. Notably, locals
attributed the limited violence that did take place to
"election criminality," rather than terrorism. Local press
reports and EMBASSY observers commented that voters were
motivated by local issues, such as education and development,
rather than broader questions such as the India-Pakistan
relationship. End Summary.
High Voter Turnout Reflects Electoral Excitement
-------------- ---
2. (SBU) Indian press outlets are reporting that voters
largely ignored a call by separatists to boycott the polls
for the four Jammu & Kashmir Assembly seats being contested
on April 24. Total turnout reached about 60 percent -- well
above the 35 percent turnout for Lok Sabha elections in 2004
and the 42 percent turnout for Legislative Assembly elections
in 2002 (REF A) -- confirming the sense of excitement that
Poloff and Pol FSN observed during their visits to 11 polling
stations. On April 25, Jammu & Kashmir's Chief Electoral
Officer announced the following turnout figures for each of
the constituencies: Bhaderwah - 72 percent; Rafiabad - 66.2
percent; Pattan - 56.2 percent; Sangrama - 40.3 percent.
Despite a slow start at some polling places, Poloff and Pol
FSN witnessed queues several hundred people deep at sveral
locations by the afternoon. Extrapolating out their
observations, the government's overall turnout figure is
consistent with what Poloff and Pol FSN saw. As they
traveled, Poloff and Pol FSN were greeted by voters proudly
holding up their inked fingers to show that they had
exercised their franchise. At one polling station in
Sangrama, Poloff noted that a group of about 50 stood without
blocking the voting booths, and said within range of the
security forces that they were boycotting the election. The
only note-worthy impact of the separatists' boycott call
appeared to be the large-scale shuttering of shops near
Sopore and the more limited number of closed stores in
Pattan; it was business as usual in most other places, again
in contrast to the 2004 elections.
Importance of Local Issues Outweighs Boycott Calls
-------------- --------------
3. (C) Voters told Poloff and Pol FSN that they were voting
based on local issues, including education and development,
rather than on the basis of Indo-Pakistani relations, on
which separatist leaders have focused (REF B). Press reports
NEW DELHI 00002788 002.4 OF 003
NEW DELHI 00002788 003.4 OF 003