Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah also flagged the six-month delay so the government could put in place an Indian-built biometric voting system to ensure elections are free and fair.
The comments come after it was revealed in parliament last week the electoral roll was only 60 per cent complete with just four months to go until polling day.
"There will be a failed election and the government will take a position on deferral," Mr Namah told the Port Moresby based The National Newspaper.
"Now we will have to make wider consultations to seek views of all stakeholders on the next course of action - to delay the election or not."
PNG's parliamentarians formally raised the prospect of delaying the poll on Friday, after the government questioned the figures in the electoral commissioner's pre-poll preparations report.
The report by Electoral commissioner Andrew Trawen said the electoral roll was about 60 per cent complete, meaning only 2.4 million of PNG's four million adults are eligible voters.
However, the leader of government business, Moses Maladina, told parliament some of the figures were incomplete.
Mr Maladina also gave a six-month approximate deadline for the introduction of biometric technology.
Biometric technology - identifying people through a characteristic unique to them, such as fingerprints - had been considered by the government of Sir Michael Somare following allegations of voter fraud in the 2007 elections.
Opposition leader Dame Carol Kidu told AAP she was uncomfortable with a delay in the election.
"It is not the political precedence we should be setting, and we have set a lot of new precedence lately," Dame Carol said, referring to the ongoing constitutional dispute about the ousting of former prime minister Sir Michael.
"I get nervous (the delay) will go on longer than six months."
However, she said she was not entirely opposed to delaying the poll.
"There must be consultation, six months must be a maximum."
Last week, former attorney-general Sir Arnold Amet told the chamber he would consider supporting a temporary suspension of the elections if it meant they would be free and fair.
A non-government MP, Sir Arnold told parliament he would support a bipartisan push to suspend the election.
"Forty per cent (unregistered voters) at this point is grossly unacceptable," he said.
"It may be in the whole nation's interest that the elections be deferred for an appointed time."
Agriculture Minister Sir Puka Temu told the chamber it was not in the government's interest to delay the elections.
"We are a very popular government," he said.
The government has authorised the roll-out of 546 soldiers to help police monitor the elections, while the Australian government has agreed to provide two helicopters and some logistical support.
---
Quelle/Source: MSN NZ News, 27.02.2012
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
