PNG Prime Minister wants early election

Peter O'Neill, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. Photo / Getty Images

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says he wants an early election, days after he voted with his fellow MPs to controversially suspend the polls for six months.

In a statement issued to media this morning, he contradicted claims by members of his government that a report issued by the electoral commissioner, Andrew Trawen, last week had recommended delaying the June 23 polls.

The report has not been made public.

In his statement, titled O'Neill for Early Elections, the prime minister said: "The electoral commissioner's brief to me dated April 2 did not recommend deferral of elections. All effort must be made to assure security and integrity of the elections."

He said he wanted the electoral commission to conduct an early election.

"Mr O'Neill believes parliament was not fully briefed on that status of the preparations of the elections by the chief electoral commissioner," the statement said.

When the vote was taken on Thursday on claims the electoral commissioner's report recommended the postponement, Mr O'Neill was among the 63 MPs who voted in favour of it. Just 11 MPs voted against the motion.

Mr O'Neill said he had summoned Mr Trawen to a special cabinet meeting set for Monday to review the report into preparations for the polls.

Cabinet is expected to report the outcome of the meeting to parliament on Tuesday.

In parliament on Thursday, the reasons given for postponing the election were security concerns in the sometimes volatile Southern Highlands region and the electoral rolls were incomplete.

In his statement on Saturday, Mr O'Neill said there had been an outcry from Highlands MPs when they were told voter rolls for their electorates had yet to be processed.

"These preliminary rolls were promised to be ready by the electoral commission for quality check by the end of March, but it had failed to do so."

Critics say a six-month delay in the election is unconstitutional.

Mr O'Neill's latest statement marks yet another twist in PNG's labyrinthine political landscape.

He and his deputy, Belden Namah, have both previously stated the poll would not be delayed.

Just last week Mr O'Neill indicated he would not implement controversial new laws giving parliament the power to suspend judges following public protests.

On Wednesday, his government voted to suspend the nation's Chief Justice, Sir Salamo Injia, and Justice Nicholas Kirriwom.

Both judges are part of the five-man bench due to deliver its verdict into the government's legitimacy on Tuesday.

-AAP