THE’s Sapia unseats Gau in Raicoast open

NEVER give up became special phrase for Peter Sapia on Friday when he was declared winner of the Raicoast open seat.
Sapia, under THE party, unseated James Gau (PNG Party) .
He was declared by returning officer Cherubim Lai at the United Church hall in Madang where counting was held.
In his late 30s and from the Tauta area of Nahorawa LLG in Raicoast, Sapia polled 10,878 votes, surpassing the absolute majority of 9104.
The runner-up was National Alliance candidate Edwin Baffe, who scored 7328 votes.
Sapia entered Raicoast politics in 2010 when the electorate had a by-election after his father, the late Kiap Niuro Toko Sapia, died as the electorate’s MP in 2009.
The 2007 general election held around June was nullified when James Yali, convicted for rape, won while in custody at Beon jail.
Sapia came fourth in the 2010 by-election and  Gau won and in 2012 Gau won again and Sapia came second place.
On Friday however, Sapia fulfilled part of his  dream which was his father’s dream – bringing tangible developments to remote parts of Raicoast known to many as “Raicoast back page”.