{
  "id": "RS21300",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RS21300",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 103108,
      "date": "2002-12-05",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:02:09.982941",
      "title": "Elections in Kashmir",
      "summary": "The United States welcomed the successful October conclusion of 2002 elections in the Indian\nstate\nof Jammu and Kashmir, where nearly half of the electorate cast ballots. The elections resulted in the\nousting of the long-dominant National Conference party, allies of the national coalition-leading\nBharatiya Janata Party, thus bolstering the credibility of the process and dampening criticism from\nsome quarters that the elections were flawed or \"farcical.\" The opposition Indian National Congress\nand the regional People's Democratic Party (PDP) won a combined 36 seats in the state assembly,\nand Congress leader Sonia Gandhi agreed to a first-ever power-sharing coalition. PDP leader Mufti\nMohammed Sayeed has assumed the office of Chief Minister vowing to bring a \"healing touch\" to\nstate politics. His \"common minimum program\" includes controversial policies -- including the\nfreeing of jailed political prisoners -- that have been lauded by some and criticized by others. The\nnew government's seeming moderation has brought renewed hopes for peace in the troubled region. \n \n  The United States had urged the holding of free and fair elections to be followed by renewed\ndialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve their long-running dispute. India has made clear that\nit will not engage such dialogue until Islamabad has put an end to cross-border infiltration of Islamic\nmilitants into Indian-held Kashmir. Following the elections, New Delhi announced a major troop\nredeployment after a tense ten-month standoff at the India-Pakistan frontier. Militant separatist\ngroups in both Pakistan and Kashmir have stated that the ground realities are unchanged and so their\nviolent campaign will continue. In apparent confirmation of these statements, numerous coordinated\nattacks in November 2002 killed dozens. This report will not be updated.  (1) \n     1.  \u00a0This is a final update and revision of a report originally\nauthored by Amit Gupta, Consultant in South Asian\nAffairs.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Asian Affairs",
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Intelligence and National Security",
    "South Asian Affairs"
  ]
}