SNAP NOTES-- THE EDITORIAL-- the hindu

SNAP NOTES FROM THE EDITORIALS—the hindu

A COALITION GONE WRONG.

THE ELECTION PATTERN:

A contributory factor, possibly, has been the skewed nature of voting patterns which convey the impression of a sharp divide — between a predominantly Muslim populated Kashmir Valley and the Hindu majority Jammu region. Votes in the Valley largely went in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), virtually shutting out the BJP as Jammu voted overwhelmingly for the BJP. 

The choice of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as Chief Minister for a full six-year term

MISTAKES:

Almost his very first pronouncement was to credit Pakistan, the Hurriyat Conference and the militants for the smooth conduct of the Assembly elections in the State.

A little after this, an even more serious controversy erupted following the release of Masarat Alam, a Kashmiri separatist hardliner and a close affiliate of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

THE SILVER LINING:

Militancy in Jammu and Kashmir is at its lowest since the 1980s.

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BIBI GETS THE 4^TH TERM

The re-election of Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu after his Likud Party secured the first place with 30 out of the 120 seats in the 2015 Israeli legislative elections came as a bit of a surprise.

Mr. Netanyahu will be Prime Minister for a fourth term.

MANIFESTO:

 The Likud victory, belying expectations, can be attributed to the polarising campaign led by Mr. Netanyahu who took a hyper-racist position denouncing Israeli Arabs and rejecting, in the run-up to the polls, the statehood demand by Palestinians. 

NO TWO-STATEHOOD POLICY:

The triumph of the right wing also reflects the sharp change in attitudes in Israeli society that has become militantly opposed to any gesture of substantive peace with Palestinians.

The U.S. has expressly supported a two-state solution and it must be worried by Mr. Netanyahu’s explicit rejection of Palestine nationhood during the election campaign. 

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