I call on everyone to be responsible and conduct the census. It is our duty to participate in a national headcount, it’s legally binding, and also an international practice, our obligation. I urge the largest opposition party to participate in this responsible operation, because the consequences of any deviations that may occur through irresponsible behavior can prove to be irreparable, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said in response to a reporter’s question on whether agreement was possible between the ruling authorities and the opposition on the census.
According to him, this statistical operation needs to be successfully completed, seeing that North Macedonia is one of the few countries where census hasn’t been held in almost 20 years. He added that all proposals on conducting the census are being considered.
“The largest opposition party has not backed the census law. Citizens should know that opening an amendment that has been accepted means endlessly opening and blocking the census law. We were open to suggestions and tried to accept and incorporate them, including the one on fingerprints. All other suggestions are being seriously considered as well, including the electronic census option, but an electronic census does not give response to information in databases on religion, ethnicity, data on citizens in the diaspora, i.e. non-residents, etc,” Zaev said.
Commenting on President Stevo Pendarovski’s proposal to delay the census to May or June, Zaev said all options are worth considering.
“We know a census can’t be conducted in summer. Election campaign is due in September, and local elections in October. Even if we consider a delay by a month or so, so that we complete the operation by mid-June, I see that the opposition has already refused, so I call on everyone to be responsible and conduct the census,” said Zaev.
According to the PM, the census methodology is in line with all Eurostat standards and all international standards.
“The country is equipped with some of the databases necessary for this statistical operation. Some of the electronic databases will be used to compare checks on the ground, while other information would need to be completed on the ground, as there are no databases. Of course, this would be in line with all health protocols. The least we can all do for the country in terms of this issue is to show responsibility,” Zaev noted.
He underlined that the census is neither to deny rights nor to grant new rights, but census data are vital to the country’s development, to regional development, economic policies, employment, industrial zones, development of new economic policies, opening new jobs, etc.
In addition, Zaev pointed out that conducting the census would be a joint success, urging everyone to stand together, especially over the census as it is everyone’s duty.
President Stevo Pendarovski on Tuesday said he believed a compromise is possible on the census if the ruling authorities and the opposition agree on its administering in May or June and no boycott by the opposition. The opposition, on the other hand, on Wednesday launched an initiative on collecting signatures to have the census law revoked. Opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski on Tuesday said if the government keeps insisting on administering census, then it should be organized electronically in order to protect people’s health. According to SDSM, such a statistical operation wouldn’t provide complete data in line with Eurostat standards. Therefore, SDSM proposed a combined census methodology.
