DUSHANBE, April 22, 2009, Asia-Plus — Deputies of the lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament considered and endorsed the draft law on general census of the population at an April 22 session, presided over by its speaker, Saydullo Khairulloyev.
The census bill that was presented by MP Jabbor Ahmadov spurred lively discussion. The draft law was worked for general census of the population scheduled for 2010. The previous census was adopted in the country in 1998 already.
MP Muhiddin Kabiri proposed to also specify religious belonging of the population during the census. “We do not have exact information about the numbers of Muslims, Christians, Jews and representatives of other religions in Tajikistan and this law could help us, researchers, ethnographers and international researchers,” the lawmaker said.
MPs Abdusattor Rajabov and Abdujalil Bobokalonov supported him, while MPs Mahmad Zobirov, Shodi Shabdolov, Olimjon Salimzoda and Qurbonali Khonzoda noted that the census law was intended for determination of economic and social requirements of society but religious belonging of the population.
Salimzoda, in particular, noted that under the law on religion and religious associations, citizens did not have to report on their religious belonging to anybody.
For his part, Kabiri noted that the president had recently announced the necessity of adoption of the national religion concept this year. “It is impossible to develop such a concept without information about exact number of believers in the country and religions they belong to,” he said.
After long discussion, the session voted down Kabir’s proposal and approved the draft law on general census of the population.
