51.   He revealed his long-expected candidacy despite a bloody campaign by armed Islamic groups who are boycotting the poll and have vowed to prevent it ever taking place.

52.   Hurriyat has made it clear that it will boycott the polls, due late September or early October, but has so far not issued any formal boycott call.

53.   However, major opposition parties boycotted the poll, claiming it was a farce.

54.   In some areas a Maoist call to boycott the polls intimidated voters into staying home.

55.   Islam called on all Muslims in Kashmir to boycott the polls due later this year.

56.   A general strike protesting the final leg of national elections in troubled Kashmir crippled this state summer capital Monday as residents vowed to boycott the polls.

57.   A Palestinian source said the PFLP was still debating whether to boycott the poll and would make a final decision at a central committee meeting soon.

58.   After deciding late December to boycott the polls, the Jamaat focussed its energies on persuading people not to vote, telling them elections without accountability were futile.

59.   Beleaguered Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic faced a ninth straight day of protests on Wednesday over the cancellation of local election results as an angry opposition boycotted new polls.

60.   But local government head Vojislav Stanimirovic indicated that the Serbs could end up shooting themselves in the foot by boycotting the polls.