U Thein Soe, Chairman of Burma’s Union Election Commission (UEC) plans to visit Kachin State, Northern Burma and meet leaders of state based political parties on August 14.

The Chairman of UEC will discuss election matters like choosing the place for putting ballot boxes and setting up polling stations among other things with the political party leaders, a Kachin political party member said.

The UEC chief will meet leaders of political parties, who will be contesting the 2010 general election from all other States and Divisions and Kachin State, said party sources.

There are four Kachin political parties--- three in Kachin State and one in Northern Shan State that have applied for approval to contest the election.

However, UEC has approved only one party, which is the junta’s Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) backed the Unity and Democracy Party of Kachin State (UDPKS).

UDPKS members are former members of the USDP spearheaded by businessman Duwa Hkyet Hting Nan, who was the organizer for USDP before he was told to float a separate Kachin political party.

U Thein Soe, chairman of EC.

The party was formed in June following goading by USDP general secretary Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, Minister of Post, Communication and Telegraphs, and U Aung Thaung, Minister of Industry -1.

The three other Kachin parties are the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) led by former No. 2 Vice-president of Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Dr. Manam Tu Ja, the Northern Shan State Progressive Party (NSPP) and the United Democracy Party-Kachin (UDP). They are still awaiting approval from the UEC for contesting the 2010 general election.