The fourth national population and housing census, that was scheduled to be undertaken this year is postponed for next year by the joint house, the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) and the House of Federation (HoF), today.
The Housing and Population Census Commission last March proposed the delay due to lack of proper preparation to adequately perform it and the proposal was endorsed by the Council of Ministers and was referred to both Houses.
Thousands of people are displaced due to the recent violence that the country witnessed and the postponement is targeted at buying time till they are returned to their regular abodes.
And in a joint session held today, the Houses passed the proposal postponing the census by majority vote, 30 votes against and with 3 abstentions.
Majority of members of the joint session today have voted in favor the decision, but 30 members voted against the postponement and 3 abstained.