PREPARING FOR THE CENSUS
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
22 April 05
On October 17-28 a population census will be taken in the Republic of
Nagorno Karabakh. At present preparations are going on. In this
reference the test census is especially important. The vice chairman
of the NKR National Statistics Service in charge of censuses, the head
of the department for censuses Sergey Davitian told about the
preparations and the results of the test census. Sergey Davitian: `In
accordance with the November 16, 2004 NKR government decision N 451,
preparations for the census of population to be taken in October 2005
have already begun. The NKR State Council of Statistics worked out and
adopted the necessary documents and extended them to the relevant
bodies. By saying` relevant bodies’ I mean the regional and town
branches of the National Statistics Service which responsible for the
census. All the problems connected with the staff have been
solved. The department for censuses was set up under the National
Statistics Service where relevant persons have been included. Vice
directors in charge of the census were appointed in the branches of
the National Statistics Service in all the regions except
Shahumian. We will recruit about 730 – 740 people to work in different
stages of the census. They will be put in charge of making lists,
control, counting, encoding and data input, as well as directors of
departments in charge of counting will be appointed by the relevant
bodies to organize work at a due level. Besides, in the framework of
preparations greater attention was paid to the test census which, in
accordance with the government decision, was taken on March 21 –
30. Five departments in charge of counting were involved in the test
census, of which three are in the city of Stepanakert, one in the
community of Noragyugh, Askeran region and one in the community of
Nerkin Horatagh in Martakert region. 489 families were involved in the
test census. The results showed that the census was taken in full
accordance with the plans and instructions. At present the data
encoding and input is carried out. The results will determine the
further course of our work. According to the NKR law on censuses, the
main aims of census taking is to work out the directions in social and
economic development in NKR, collect data necessary for conducting
demographic and social surveys, surveys of allocation and use of
labour resources, the number and structure of the population, current
records and forecasts, as well as to form electoral districts. I am
sure that the preparations going on at present have one purpose: to
implement duly the program of political importance.’ On April 12 the
NationalStatistics Service held a seminar-training for the directors
of the regional and town departments of the NKR National Statistics
Service and vice directors in charge of the census.
LAURA GRIGORIAN.
22-04-2005