Papua New Guinea’s government will not try to defer national elections due in June, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says, potentially closing the lid on calls from his deputy to suspend the poll. PNG’s parliament last month raised the idea of suspending the elections for up to 12 months so anti-fraud biometric voting systems could be installed, after it was revealed the electoral roll was only 60 per cent complete. Since then, Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah has been a vocal advocate of putting off the elections.
But on Sunday O’Neill appeared to rule that out when addressing an audience in Chimbu Province in the nation’s highlands. “We will not defer the elections,” O’Neill told the National Newspaper.
“The United Nations and Australia will come in to help us in the elections. The government will ensure common rolls and security concerns are addressed with the help of these special agencies from the UN and Australia.”
Full Article: We will not defer elections: PNG PM | WORLD News.