India Welcomes Foreign Diplomats to Observe First Elections in Kashmir

India has allowed foreign diplomats from 15 countries to observe local elections in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time in 10 years. The vote, held on Wednesday, marks the first election in the disputed Himalayan region since 2014.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government invited diplomats from nations such as the United States, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, and South Korea to visit polling stations across the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, offering them a rare chance to witness the democratic process in action. This move comes after Modi’s government revoked the region’s partial autonomy in 2019.

The three-phase election, involving over 9 million eligible voters, will determine the members of the region’s 90-seat legislature. Indian officials in Srinagar and New Delhi emphasized the significance of this vote, with Jorgan K Andrews, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, praising the process as “smooth” and “very professional.”

Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority territory, has long been a flashpoint in the conflict between India and Pakistan, both of which claim the region. The territory has seen decades of insurgency, although violence has decreased in recent years.

While the Indian government argues that the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy has brought stability and development to the region, critics, including local political leaders, have expressed skepticism. Omar Abdullah, leader of the National Conference party, questioned the need for foreign diplomats to observe the elections, calling it an internal matter. Despite this, the region recorded its highest voter turnout in 35 years during national elections earlier this year, with 58.46% voter participation.

India previously hosted foreign diplomats for a G20 meeting on tourism in the region last year, but this marks the first time international representatives have been invited to witness an election.