HONIARA, Solomon Islands (AFP) — Australia said Tuesday it has offered to fund Solomon Islands' 2023 election, as the Pacific nation's leader pushed ahead with a controversial bill to delay the vote over budgetary constraints.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has sought to alter the constitution and delay the election by months until after the country hosts the 2023 Pacific Games, arguing that Solomon Islands cannot afford to do both.

But critics have accused Sogavare of attempting to "bulldoze" democracy by rushing the bill through parliament.

The Australian funding offer "reflects our longstanding and historical commitment to supporting democracy and democratic processes in Solomon Islands," Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Tuesday.

The offer has not yet been accepted but Wong told national broadcast ABC that it was "a matter for Solomon Islands as to whether they will respond and how they wish to respond."

The amount offered by Australia was not revealed, but Sogavare's secretary Jimmie Rogers previously told the Solomons state broadcaster that the election would cost more than US$49 million.