Few Bosnians Expect Census to be Accurate

Only 15 per cent of citizens expect the results of the 2013 population and household census in Bosnia to show the factual situation, according to a survey by PopisMonitor, which has closely followed closely the census and post-census processes.

The same analysis showed that 40 per cent of people did not believe the census figures reflected the truth.

The association 'Zasto ne', which has led a campaign of civic monitoring of the census through PopisMonitor, said there were many irregularities and broken rules in the census, and preliminary results revealed huge differences with statistics used before the head count.

Glaring examples were in the municipalities of Dobretici in Central Bosnia, and Ravno, in Herzegovina where more than twice the population were counted in the census when compared to demographic data from 2012.

According to PopisMonitor, other municipalities revealed equally large differences in terms of population, comparing the preliminary results of the census from 2013 and the statistics used in 2012.

“Huge differences were present when cantons were compared, while this disharmony between the results of the census and the statistics points to a realistic possibility that many frauds were organized,” PopisMonitor said.