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Iraqi Minister: Census should be delayed until government in place

Arab World Materials 27 October 2010 17:10 (UTC +04:00)
Iraq's planned national census, which has been plagued by controversy and delays, should be postponed for a third time, Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation Ali Baban said Wednesday.
Iraqi Minister: Census should be delayed until government in place

Iraq's planned national census, which has been plagued by controversy and delays, should be postponed for a third time, Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation Ali Baban said Wednesday, DPA reported.

The census - which would be the first in 23 years - had been set for December 5, following two postponements since 2007.

Baban gave the continued political stalemate over the make-up of the new government as a reason to delay the count, according to a statement published by al-Sabah newspaper. He did not suggest a new date for the census.

Elections in March failed to produce a clear winner and the parties have so far been unable to form a coalition.

The census, which aims to map the exact ethnic and religious make up of the country, has caused a stir in the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul, which is home to Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen.

The census is not expected to focus on who is Shiite or Sunni Muslim.

The findings could alter current power structures, particularly if the survey determines that Kurds are the majority in oil-rich Kirkuk, entitling them to a greater portion of the federal budget.

The census, originally scheduled for 2007, was set to take place last month but postponed to December amid fears that it could spark fresh sectarian violence.

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