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No chance of government postponing J&K poll: Swami

Minister of State for Home I D Swami told rediff.com on Wednesday that the assembly election in Jammu & Kashmir could be postponed only by the Election Commission and no other authority.

Asked if the government would defer the election if the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference agreed to participate, Swami responded: "How can the Government of India interfere? Even if a political decision is taken in this regard, only the Election Commission of India can postpone the election. Even the Supreme Court of India cannot interfere once the election process has been set in motion."

Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat had hinted on Tuesday that the conglomerate could consider participating in the election if the Government of India gave a firm commitment that it would open negotiations with the winners.

A Hurriyat team is visiting New Delhi next week for the second round of talks with the non-official Kashmir Committee headed by former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani.

"How can we think of participating in the election when the process has already been set in motion and candidates have already filed their nominations in at least four districts of Jammu & Kashmir?" Bhat had said.

Sources close to the Hurriyat leadership said the APHC was likely to nominate or support some non-party candidates in the election.

A delegation of American diplomats had also met the Hurriyat leaders earlier this week and impressed upon them the need to participate in the election if they want peace in the valley.

"They are people from a big country and they know how to put across their views," Bhat said. "We have also put across our point of view as nicely as possible."

Swami stressed that the government was willing to talk to anyone who gave up violence and expressed his willingness to negotiate within the framework of the Constitution.

Jammu and Kashmir Elections 2002: The complete coverage

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