KRG pushes for Iraq's 2020 census to be held 'without politicization'

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A cabinet member of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Thursday that it is essential for Iraq's upcoming national census, planned for 2020, to be held in a "suitable environment" that is "without politicization." 

The statement was made by KRG Planning Minister Dara Rashid, along with KRG Minister of State Khalid Shwani, during a press conference following their meeting with a high delegation from Iraq's federal government headed by Mahdi al-Alaq, National Advisor for the Population Census. 

Following the meeting, Rashid said, "We discussed the census project in detail," and stressed that technical teams in Erbil and Baghdad are working on "establishing a suitable environment for the census."

Rashid added that "for a successful census, we need normalization in the disputed territories," and stressed the KRG's demand for "a national census without politicization."

Iraq’s last census was held in 1997 and did not include the Kurdistan Region. More recent counts generally estimate population based on statistics provided by the national food ration program and have often been incomplete in disputed territories.  

A full accounting of regional populations is crucial for planning and budgeting in any nation. In Iraq, where mass displacement and campaigns of ethnic cleansing have been endemic to conflict for decades, such a survey takes on political significance. Lack of reliable statistics has fueled discord between rival populations claiming majorities in various regions of Iraq, most notably in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, adding to the difficulty of addressing fundamental disagreements.

Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution provides a legal mechanism for resolving the outcome of the disputed territories, partially based on updated census results. The provision was introduced to allow the 2005 ratification of the constitution by kicking controversial decisions on the disputed territories down the road, but has still never been implemented.

"We confirmed our support and relayed our concerns about the disputed territories, and have asked the delegation to take these concerns into consideration before the national census,"  Shwani said.  

For his part, Alaq stated, "The meeting with both KRG ministers was fruitful as we discussed preparations from both the regional and the federal government for the census," adding that his office would continue talks with the Kurdistan Regional Statistics Office and UN envoys to reach a broad agreement that would overcome the obstacles. 

The national advisor also affirmed the government's intention of keeping to the currently-scheduled census dates in November 2020, saying that "there is coordination and cooperation on the highest level with the KRG to conduct the census."

A week earlier, President of the Kurdistan Region Nichervan Barzani met with Nouri Sabah al-Dulaimi, Iraq’s planning minister. In Iraq, the Ministry of Planning is responsible for conducting the census. 

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During the meeting, Barzani and Dulaimi discussed preparations being made, with a KRG statement stressing that “cooperation and coordination between the federal government, the KRG, and the international community in the process,” was essential. 

Editing by John J. Catherine