The United States Embassy in Papua New Guinea has called on the country's politicians to ensure elections go ahead on time.
In a release the Embassy says the US shares the concerns of many Papua New Guineans about last week's parliamentary vote to delay elections six months, and says it's been heartened by the subsequent Cabinet decision to hold the poll as originally scheduled.
"It says if elections were not to occur in accordance with the constitution, it would establish a negative precedent ."
The Embassy statement says elections fulfill a fundamental contract with the people and provide the state the legitimacy to fulfill its other obligations.
It says if the polls don't occur in a regular and predictable manner, people would lose faith in the institutions of democracy.
And it says the US is confident that PNG's government will be mindful of its obligation to hold elections consistent with the constitution.
