ERBIL — The Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, has stated that the issues facing the census process in Kirkuk will be resolved. If they are not, the census in the province should be delayed, or the 1957 census should be used as the basis. He also noted that the Iraqi Ministry of Planning has promised to open a data center in the Kurdistan Region.

On Tuesday, Shakhawan Abdullah acknowledged the efforts of the parliamentary planning committee in addressing the challenges surrounding the general census, particularly during a meeting that included the Iraqi Minister of Planning and a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government.

“There were several important issues for us that needed to be clarified, including the status of Kurdish areas outside the Kurdistan Regional Government. People were forcibly displaced from Kirkuk to the Kurdistan Region, while others were brought into Kirkuk and settled there. These issues required more thorough explanation,” Abdullah said.

“What is particularly important to us is that the indigenous people of Kirkuk are counted in their city. If not, there will be no general census in Kirkuk, and the 1957 census records will be used as a basis,” he added.

Abdullah also mentioned that the head of the strategic report committee pointed out that the general census does not necessarily have to be held in November this year. If the concerns and shortcomings are not addressed, it is reasonable to postpone the process.

“We have emphasized the need for a statistics and information center in the Kurdistan Region. When we amended the census law, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning promised to establish such a center in the Kurdistan Region,” he explained.

“The issue of internally displaced persons was also discussed. For example, how will people from Anbar, who fled to the Kurdistan Region due to the war on terrorism and have since settled there, be counted? We are working on establishing a mechanism to address this issue,” Abdullah noted.

The general population and housing census is scheduled for November 20, 2024, across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

The last census in 1997 recorded 19 million Iraqis, with a separate count estimating the population of the Kurdish provinces at 2.8 million. Current estimates place Iraq’s population at around 50 million. A previously planned census in 2020 was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.