Nineveh Governorate, northern Iraq, is preparing to conduct a general population census on November 20 and 21, in the first census to be conducted in the country since 1997 .
The population census issue represents a thorny political issue in Iraq, more than it is an organizational procedure, due to its connection to the election process and the quota system on which the political process in Iraq is based after the American invasion .
The total number of Iraqis living inside the country is estimated at about 43 million people, while the number of Iraqis abroad is more than six million, distributed across about 40 Western and Arab countries .
The Ministry of Planning confirms that the aim of the census is to establish a correct and real database on the population to ensure the fair distribution of resources and financial dues to all governorates, in addition to relying on census data in future development programs.
The ministry points out that the general population census will not deal with the issue of the sectarian, national and religious affiliation of Iraqis, in a new indication that the citizen will not be asked about his sectarian affiliation, which is considered a positive step in the view of Iraqis who oppose the procedures for establishing sub-identities in Iraq .
FEARS IN NINEVEH
Although the census seeks to achieve development goals, political parties in Nineveh have raised some concerns about including disputed areas and displaced people from the province in the census data for the Kurdistan Region .
In this context, Ahlam Al-Kakai, a member of the House of Representatives for Nineveh Governorate, warned against including villages from Nineveh Governorate in the Kurdistan Region in the population census process that will begin next month .
Al-Kakai told Shafaq News Agency, “Some villages in Al-Hamdaniya district in Nineveh, especially the Kakai and Arab villages, were included in the population census in Dohuk Governorate .”
She pointed out that she had communicated with the local authorities in Nineveh and the Statistics Department in Nineveh to find out the reason for including areas of Nineveh in the region in the census, indicating that these authorities had confirmed that this procedure had come in an organizational and administrative manner in agreement between the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and the Kurdistan Regional Government, and that including areas of Nineveh in the census to the region represents a dangerous step and may pave the way for more dangerous subsequent steps, according to her .
HOSTING THE WALLETS
These concerns prompted the provincial council to host Nineveh Governor Abdul Qader Al-Dakhil and Nineveh Statistics Director Nawfal Suleiman to discuss these concerns. Provincial Council member Marwan Al-Taie confirmed the council’s rejection of the deployment of Kurdistan Region statistics teams in the disputed areas within the administrative borders of Nineveh Governorate .
Al-Taie told the agency, “The council hosted the governor of Nineveh to verify the information indicating the deployment of census teams affiliated with Kurdistan in the villages and areas of Nineveh located within the disputed areas that are under the control of the Kurdish forces .”
He added: “The Nineveh Statistics Directorate confirmed that its teams will be deployed in all disputed areas within the administrative borders of Nineveh, and that there is coordination between the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and the Kurdistan Regional Government regarding work in areas under the control of the Peshmerga forces, which are administratively affiliated with Nineveh Governorate .”
DISPUTED
In contrast, Nineveh Governor Abdul Qadir Al-Dakhil announced that all areas affiliated with Nineveh Governorate, according to the administrative borders that were adopted before April 2003, will be included in the census and within the data specific to Nineveh Governorate, and not within the data of the Kurdistan Region .
Al-Dakhil told Shafaq News Agency, “Nineveh has obtained the first place in Iraq in conducting the experimental population census,” stressing the readiness of the census teams to complete the national census mission on the twentieth and twenty-first of this month. He pointed out that there will be a holiday and a curfew on the census days, calling on the people to cooperate with the census teams in order to accomplish development matters in the governorate and all of Iraq .
Al-Dakhil stressed that Nineveh has been subjected to great injustice and oppression throughout the past years due to the failure to conduct a population census, indicating that the official data of the Iraqi state has proven the population of Nineveh to be less than 3 million people, while the real number may exceed five million, indicating that this has had a negative impact on Nineveh and its budgets from the federal government .
Regarding the disputed areas, Al-Dakhil confirmed that there is joint coordination between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to conduct a population census in the disputed areas in Nineveh Governorate .
He stated that “all the inventory, numbering and census operations that are taking place in the disputed areas will be recorded in the data of Nineveh Governorate,” indicating that those areas will include all the lands within the administrative borders of Nineveh before April 2003 .
DISPLACED PEOPLE FROM SINJAR
Regarding the displaced people from Nineveh, especially the Yazidi component displaced from Sinjar district to the Kurdistan Region, Al-Dakhil confirmed that the population census process will prove their residence within their original areas and not in the areas to which they were displaced. He pointed out that the displaced people’s form for the census will include a box about the original place of residence to confirm the areas of the displaced people, especially from Sinjar .
JOINT COORDINATION
However, the Nineveh Council member for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Ahmed Al-Kiki, confirmed that the census work in the disputed areas is being carried out in coordination between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region, while he explained that the statements of some officials, representatives and members in Nineveh reflect their lack of knowledge of the cooperation taking place between Baghdad and Erbil in this regard .
Al-Kiki told the agency, “There is great coordination between the Federal Statistics and Geographic Information Systems Authority and the Statistics Authority in the Kurdistan Region, to discuss the joint preparations underway to implement the general population and housing census scheduled to be conducted on the twentieth of this November .”
Al-Kiki added: “The purpose of the census is clear to everyone, which is to draw a clear picture of the reality of the situation in order to develop plans, policies and economic and investment strategies to advance the reality of development and improve the level of services provided to citizens.” He pointed out that the talk of some members of the Nineveh Provincial Council are ill-considered statements that have no connection to the reality that reflects the strength and solidity of the great cooperation between the central and regional governments .
READY TO SET UP
Regarding the preparations for the census process, the Director of Nineveh Statistics, Nawfal Suleiman, announced the readiness of the statistics teams in the governorate to conduct the general population census process on November 20 and 21 .
Suleiman said in a statement to Shafaq News Agency: “His department was able, in a short period of time, to prepare approximately 11 thousand people to participate in the national census campaign in Nineveh,” adding that “the census teams have completed 97 percent of the enumeration and numbering work, and it is scheduled to complete the enumeration and numbering of buildings within the next two days in the remaining areas located in the Hatra district.”
He concluded by saying: “900,000 buildings were counted and numbered in Nineveh, while 1.1 million were counted in Baghdad and 600,000 in Basra. This is evidence that Nineveh is still ahead of many governorates in population.”
(Mnt Goat: They tell you that the Oil and Gas law or HCL is “all done” although we keep seeing article after article that it is not. The FACT is the oil and Gas law is a top priority and is NOT DONE. The law still sits in the cabinet and waiting re-review by parliament. It did go to parliament but was kicked back for changes to the cabinet. I believe they are waiting for the new speaker to be appointed to try to pass it again in parliament. Remember that I was told many times by my CBI contact that the new Iraqi constitution must be fully implemented in order to get the dinar reinstated so this is a much-needed referendum to be passed. It is probably one of the hardest and most controversial pieces of legislation they have to deal with. We also read in today’s news that Article 140 will shortly have its required census taken and this could be settled too in November.)
