Lima, Oct 21 (Prensa Latina) A national population and housing census will be carried out on Sunday in Peru, amid controversy, regional conflicts, and even a religious conflict.
INEI, National Statistics and Computing Institute ex head Farid Matuk ratified his criticism to the census, after President Alan Garcia tried to discredit him, accusing him of fugitive, due to a trial against him for supposed mismanagement.
Matuk held that the census is unnecessary, its methodology is obsolete, the personnel in charge is lowly qualified, and it is only oriented to hinder the annual polls planned in a previous census that will be used to verify the real progress in social issues.
The president was obliged to call the people to leave aside any eagerness for convenience, and collaborate with the census, due to its importance for social programs.
He referred to general rejection of the irreplaceability order, given by the INEI for Sunday, for the citizenry to remain in its homes, which was changed for a recommendation, accompanied by prohibition of public transportation and businesses.
Meanwhile, several municipalities and provinces of the southern regions of Cusco, Ayacucho, Tacna, and Moquegua rejected the census, because they consider that it could affect the lawsuits about adjoining lands with other jurisdictions.
The Defense Front decided that the population of Moquegua did not participate in the census, a decision criticized by President Garcia, who warned that the mentioned area would be left out of the social programs.
Representatives of the Protestant Christian churches criticized the president for having exhorted the population to not answer the census question about the religion they profess, because that is relevant to convictions, of which nobody should be questioned about.
Peruvian Protestan Pastor Fraternity President David Cauracuri said the presidential declaration was inopportune, and called to ignore it.
iom mrs
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={E3B41631-AF1C-4FA7-B68E-D3AAC0AC5033})&language=EN
Farid Matuk 