Papua New Guinea's acting Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Trawen, has urged the local media not to speculate over the outcome of court cases connected with fresh elections in the Southern Highlands in April.
Last year's poll was rejected after violence and killings stopped voting in many areas in the province.
Ballot boxes were also stolen or destroyed.
There are already court cases looming over whether some of the votes cast in the first attempt to hold an election are still valid in the round due to be held in April.
Mr Trawen says he has ordered the Commission's lawyers to make sure the cases are heard as soon as possible so that they don't interfere with elections in a few month's time.
