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Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
The Union Defence Minister George Fernandes on Saturday said that no sovereign country could agree to foreign poll observers.
Addressing troops in Srinagar at the Kilo Force headquarters, which is involved in counter-insurgency operations in north Kashmir, Fernandes said separatists could participate in the election if they 'swear allegiance to the Indian Constitution'.
The defence minister is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir for an on-the-spot assessment of the overall situation.
During his recent New Delhi visit the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell had favoured 'independent international observers' to monitor the state assembly election to 'enhance their credibility'.
However, New Delhi had rejected it.
Immediately after his arrival in Srinagar in the morning, the defence minister flew to Ladakh and visited the Siachin glacier and other forward posts. Senior army officers, including the GOC 15 corps, Lt Gen V J Patankar, accompanied him.
Addressing the soldiers in the forward areas, Fernandes said, "Efforts will be made by militants to disrupt the state assembly election. There will be serious efforts by internal and external forces to sabotage the election and for that the army has to be fully prepared."
He rejected the allegations that 'the army had forced people to vote during the state assembly poll in 1996'.
The defence minister, however, saw 'a clear role' for the army during the September polling. He said, "The army will give protection to the voters who come out to exercise their democratic rights."
The state government in the meantime has asked the officers to strictly adhere to the model code of conduct of the Election Commission, which came into force from Friday.
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