Tereapii Piho (born 25 August 1960) is a Cook Islands

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...

 politician and former Cabinet Minister

Cook Islands Cabinet

The Cabinet of the Cook Islands is the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch of the Cook Islands Government. It consists of the Prime Minister and a number of other Ministers, who are collectively responsible to Parliament....

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Piho was born on Rakahanga

Rakahanga

Rakahanga, part of the Cook Islands in the central-southern Pacific Ocean, is one of the most unspoiled places on earth. The atoll is 1,248 kilometres from the Cook Islands capital, Rarotonga and lies 1,111 kilometres from the equator...

 and educated in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. He was first elected to Parliament

Parliament of the Cook Islands

The Parliament of the Cook Islands is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand colonial rule, it became the national legislature on independence in 1965....

 for the seat of Manihiki

Manihiki (Cook Islands electorate)

Manihiki is a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. Its current representative is Apii Piho, who has held the seat since 2006.The electorate consists of the island of Manihiki....

 as a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party

Democratic Party (Cook Islands)

The Democratic Party is a liberal political party in the Cook Islands. It is currently the Opposition party in the Cook Islands Parliament.-Early years:...

 at the 2006 election

Cook Islands general election, 2006

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on September 27, 2006 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The Democratic Party remained in power, winning 15 of 24 seats. A total of 8,497 voters turned out to vote....

, defeating Cook Islands Party

Cook Islands Party

The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the Islands' politics since 1965....

 leader Henry Puna

Henry Puna

Henry Tuakeu Puna is the current Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He is leader of the Cook Islands Party.-Early life:Puna grew up in Aitutaki. He was educated on Aitutaki and Rarotonga before studying law at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the University of Tasmania in Australia...

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In December 2009 he was appointed to Cabinet following the sacking of Terepai Maoate

Terepai Maoate

Sir Terepai Tuamure Maoate, KBE was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 18 November 1999 to 11 February 2002. He is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party...

 and resignation of Democratic party cabinet ministers. He currently holds the portfolios of Justice, Health, Internal Affairs, Youth & Sports, and NGOs. As a result, he was expelled from the Democratic Party on 8 April 2010.

Piho failed to win re-election in the 2010 election

Cook Islands general election, 2010

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 17 November 2010 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The elections were won by the Cook Islands Party, which won 16 of the 24 seats...

 and was defeated by Henry Puna

Henry Puna

Henry Tuakeu Puna is the current Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He is leader of the Cook Islands Party.-Early life:Puna grew up in Aitutaki. He was educated on Aitutaki and Rarotonga before studying law at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the University of Tasmania in Australia...

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External links

• Profile at Cook Islands Parliament.