Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE= 09/24/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= KASHMIR VOTE / L

NUMBER=2-294404

BYLINE= JIM TEEPLE

DATELINE= SRINAGAR

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

// Re-issuing. New info, second graph of text //

INTRO: Voters in Indian-administered Kashmir went to the polls

Tuesday, in the second phase of four-phase elections for the state assembly.

As V-O-As Jim Teeple reports from Srinagar, election violence kept

many voters at home. He says voter turnout is expected to be lower than

recorded in the first phase of voting, last week.

TEXT:

/// ACTUALITY OF HEAVY GUNFIRE, IN AND UNDER ///

Heavy gunfire cast a pall over voting in Srinagar, the summer

capital of Indias Jammu and Kashmir State.

Suspected separatist militants seized a polling station, just

hours before voting began. They continued their battle with Indian security

forces throughout the day, until police ended the siege by setting the building on fire, killing at least two militants. Two police officers also died in the incident.

The violence and a strike called by separatist political parties

left most Srinigar polling stations empty.

Casting his ballot just a few kilometers from where paramilitary

troops were fighting the militants, Farouk Abdullah -- the states chief

minister -- blamed Pakistan for the violence and defended his governments

record over the past six years.

/// ABDULLAH ACTUALITY ///

We are fighting a war with Pakistan. On the other hand, in these

six years, we have done as much as possible as a government could do. The

roads that we could build with the resources we had. The schools we

could start improve, the hospitals we could improve, the jobs we

could give. The tragedy is that we are dependent on tourism and there is

hardly any tourism at all.

/// END ACTUALITY //

Turnout in Srinagar was sparse. Voting was reported to be more extensive in

the winter capital, Jammu, and in Budgam District just outside Srinagar.

However, overall turnout is expected to be lower than the 47 percent recorded in the first phase of voting, September 16th.

Final results from all four rounds of voting are expected October 10th.

Separatist militants have vowed to kill candidates and anyone

voting. Separatist political parties have called for a boycott, saying the

election does not address the issue of self-determination for Kashmiris.

// OPT // Abdul Ghani Bhat -- the chairman of The All Parties Huriyat Conference, a

grouping of more than 20 separatist parties -- says the elections

should never have been held, given the current climate of violence and

intimidation in Kashmir.

/// OPTIONAL BHAT ACTUALITY ///

You can never ever insure voluntary participation of the voters and

credibility of the results. You can never do it in Kashmir, amidst

the role of the gun and amidst this bloodshed, amidst the element of

uncertainty and bickering between the government of Kashmir and the

government in Delhi the election commission on the one hand and

the government - the bureaucracy and the army on the other hand. In

such an environment, you should never talk of elections, much less hold

elections.

/// END OPTIONAL ACTUALITY ///

Despite the violence, some voters did cast their ballots in Srinagar, Tuesday. One who did was Mohammed Ashraf Shah, a Congress Party activist. Mr. Shah says many people stayed home because of threats of violence.

///URDU ACTUALITY W / ENGLISH TRANSLATION ///

People are not coming out. There is a low turnout because of the threat that the militants have given to everybody. So, that is the primary reason for the low turnout.

/// END ACTUALITY ///

Mohammed Ashraf Shah says he understands why many Kashmiris do not

want to vote. However, he says, by not voting, Kashmiris are

giving up a chance to elect leaders who might be involved in settling

the Kashmir dispute -- if and when India and Pakistan ever agree to

sit down and try and settle their differences over the region. (Signed)

neb/jlt/wd