PNG's leader wants elections 'on track'

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill appeared to backtrack on a decision to delay elections by six months, saying parliament had been incorrectly briefed. PNG's parliament voted on Thursday to postpone the polls, expected to begin on June 23, due to incomplete electoral rolls and security concerns, sparking concern from neighbouring Australia. But in a statement issued Saturday, O'Neill said parliament did not have the correct information from the electoral commissioner when it made the decision and that cabinet would discuss the matter on Monday. "The electoral commissioner's brief to me dated April 2 did not recommend deferral of elections," O'Neill said in the statement, the Australian Associated Press reported. "All effort must be made to assure security and integrity of the elections." The prime minister's office could not be reached Saturday. O'Neill took power in August when then-prime minister Sir Michael Somare was out of the country due to illness. After his predecessor disputed his authority, he promised that elections would be held in 2012 as scheduled. Australia, which is providing support including election personnel and air support to Papua New Guinea for the elections, had criticised the delay as a "bad habit" and called for the Pacific island nation to reconsider. Somare's camp had declared the suspension of elections unconstitutional. Impoverished Papua New Guinea sits on the cusp of a huge resources boom, led by a $15 billion LNG pipeline project, but the nation of more than 6.6 million people remains mired in poverty.