[Reader-list] Hurriyat says YES to Elections in Kashmir - No Poll Boycott

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

Moderate Hurriyat not for election boycott April 16th, 2009 - 1:17 pm ICT by
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Srinagar, April 16 (IANS) In a significant development, the moderate
Hurriyat group led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq Thursday decided not to call for a
boycott of parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
After three days of discussions here, the group announced that the elections
were no alternative to “the right to self-determination” but did not
specifically ask Kashmiris to keep away from the polls.

“Elections were not an alternative for the right to self-determination and
the conglomerate considered elections in Kashmir a non-issue,” it said in a
statement.

Though the statement said the Hurriyat arrived at a decision not to press
for a boycott, reports said its constituents were divided over the issue
since its boycott appeal was overlooked by the people during the December
2008 assembly elections.

The hardline Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Geelani and the United Jehad
Council (UJC) of the armed separatist groups have already called for an
election boycott in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir elects six members to the Lok Sabha including three from
the Kashmir Valley.