After several postponements, the population census in Montenegro begins

In Montenegro, on Sunday, the population census began, after the anticipated date was postponed several times, following the request of the opposition parties in the country.

According to previous announcements, the population census in Montenegro should have started on October 1 and November 30, but the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajic, offered to postpone it for some time, as the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Socialists and former president Milo Djukanovç, requested the fulfillment of all the conditions foreseen in the agreement signed between the opposition and the prime minister, for the population census.

"There are moments, decisions and actions through which we show that we have matured as a society. The decisions of the opposition and the calculated attitude towards it, is a step in that direction, it is evidence of a new political consciousness in which the interest of society and the state is above everything else", Mr. Spaji? said on this occasion.

Today, the Statistical Administration of Montenegro announced that all the conditions for holding the population census have been met.

Monstat called on citizens to "open the door to the recorders" and "refrain from statements that do not help reduce tensions".

The population census in Montenegro, according to analysts, has turned into a political issue between the biggest political groups, pro-Montenegro and pro-Serb. Analysts point out that the census, which started today, could overturn the national population structure in the small Balkan state.

Even in the report of the European Commission, it was emphasized that the population and housing census requires careful management by the authorities, especially when it comes to sensitive issues related to ethnicity, religion and language.

The last population and housing census was held in 2011 in accordance with international recommendations, with the aim of determining statistical data on population, households and housing.

This was the first registration in the territory of Montenegro since regaining independence in 2006.

The results of the census showed that Montenegro had a population of 625,266 inhabitants and 194,795 families. Regarding national affiliation, the Montenegrin community prevailed with 44.98%, followed by the Serbian community with 28.73%, Bosniaks with 8.65% and Albanians with 4.91%./VOA