Kosovo population census postponed, Kurti blames AKK

The Kosovo government has postponed the start of the census for two months. Prime Minister Albin Kurti has blamed the Kosovo Communist Association for delays.

At the Government meeting Wednesday, it is decided that the launch of this process will not begin on September 1st, but on November 1st.

Kurti has also accused the former government of conducting a “census in 2011 with a memorandum of co-operation with an international organisation”.

Honored “members of the government cabinet, with the adoption of the Law on Population Recording, Family Economics and Homes, have launched an extremely important process for policymaking in specific segments and areas affecting the integrity of our citizens. Some activities were necessary to prepare for September 1, 2023, when the census was to begin. For such a process of size, help was welcome. With UNOPS backing, we would take the first steps to ensure the procurement of equipment necessary for the process. But by respecting the Constitution and the Law for International Accords, we could not handle such co-operation other than as international agreements, as opposed to past governments since 2011, for the purpose of population registration, co-operation with an international organisation to which millions of euros were transferred for the purpose of procurement made with a simple memorandum of co-operation. Such a way of co-operation violates Kosovo's citizenship. Such a thing with our government does not take place”, Kurti initially said, adding that “given the treatment of international agreements in the country recently and to accelerate the process, procurement or part of it was left to the Central Procurement Authority” in management.

According to Kurti, this authority has successfully carried out the obligation, while blaming “for” resistance within the Central Commission for registration by the Kosovo Communist Association.

“Although preparations were made against resistance produced even within the central registration commission from the Kosovo Communist Association, the process cannot be started before November 1st, 2023. So two months later because of the inability of the Kosovo Statistics Agency that, late in the process, he planned details”, Kurti said in reasoning before making the decision.