BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
WESTERN province’s premier Wayne Maepioh has lost his provincial ward seat in Wednesday’s election.
Maepioh is currently the province’s caretaker premier.
He lost his seat by a margin of 32 votes to newcomer Mr Pitiri Sute, who won with 583 votes.
Sute succeeds Maepioh as MPA for ward 23 Gatokae.
Maepioh had taken the province’s helm from former premier Robert Kuve on August 9, 2016, after Kuve stepped down to medical reasons.
Meanwhile, deputy premier Maloney Lopoto has also lost the ward 15 Munda seat to newcomer Mr David Gina.
