Head-to-head contest in Kathu poll

KATHU: Two parties will each contest all of the 12 seats in the June 10 election to choose the new Kathu Municipal Council. One party, the Kathu Ruamjai Party, is led by Suthep Sanguanpanont, the Mayor of the Municipality until it was dissolved at the end of April to prepare for the election. K. Suthep was also President of the Kathu Sanitation District from which the Municipality was formed in May last year. The other party is the Pattana Kathu, led by Prasert Kaokijpaisarn, who was a kamnan in the Kathu area for 15 years. There will be 12 polling stations in Kathu Municipality, which covers most of the area between the Prince of Songkla University and the Kathu shrine, and which stretches west to include Patong and Kamala. It is estimated there are about 9,700 voters in the municipality. Those wishing to check whether they are registered or not can do so at the Kathu Municipality offices or at the Kathu District Office on Wichit Songkram Rd. Each voter may vote for up to 12 of the candidates. The winners will sit as members of the Municipal Council for four years.