Murdered politician’s daughter to run for his seat

PHANG NGA: The daughter of murdered politician Nithas Siribenjakul has announced she is to stand as a candidate in the election to replace him on the Phang Nga Provincial Administration Organization (OrborJor) council, and she has urged the police to do more to find his killers.

K. Nithas, who was chairman of the OrBorJor, was gunned down at Takuapa bus station on July 30.

Arkhom Thongjerm has been confirmed as replacement chairman, but there will be an election on September 26 to decide who will replace K. Nithas as representative for Takuapa.

After urging the police to press on with the investigation into the shooting of her father, Nathawan Soongparnkao announced that she is to stand in the election.

She admitted she was not comfortable pressing the police about her father’s death during the election campaign, but added, “The police have still not found out why my father died. I will continue to follow this up after the election, and maybe I will ask the Governor of Phang Nga to look into the case more closely.”

K. Nathawan is one of the six candidates contesting the election.

Pol Col Aroon Keawthanee, Superintendent of Takuapa Police Station, said the police now believe that K. Nithat’s murder was probably sparked by a dispute with parties in Chumphon, Nakhon Sri Thammarat or Surat Thani.

Although he declined to give details of the disputes, but said his officers had now ruled out a link with any conflict in Phang Nga. He added that police were still looking for the killers and the person who hired them.