Sittwe: The Kaman National Progressive Party, an ethnic minority party in Arakan State, was able to submit names of only six candidates to the Union Election Commission (UEC) for contesting the election scheduled for 7 November, 2010, said party president U Zaw Min.

Speaking to Narinjara over telephone, he said, "We submitted names of six candidates to the UEC for three townships in Arakan State. We could not nominate candidates in some townships in Arakan State due to insufficient time and funds."

U Zaw Win said that he will contest in the Sittwe constituency for Pyitaungsu Parliament, or the Lower House, while senior leader U Hla Toe will contest in the Sittwe constituency for the National Parliament, or Upper House.

Two other leaders, U Kyaw Nyein and U Aung Hla Tun, will contest in the Sittwe constituency for the Rakhine State Parliament.

U Tun Myint will contest in Rambree Township for the Rakhine State Parliament, while U Tin Hlaing will contest in Thandwe for the State Parliament.

"Our party is formed by Kaman patriots in order to carry out development of the Kaman people as well as for our state, Arakan. We will win some seats, where our people are in a majority, in Arakan State," he added.

In the 1990 military sponsored election, U Shwe Ya, a candidate from the Kaman party, which was banned later by the junta, won the second seat in the Sittwe constituency, but authorities later canceled the  poll results after some rival politicians in Sittwe complained.

The Kaman are an ethnic minority nationality in Arakan, and the Kaman people are primarily Muslim.