Cyprus opposition parties pledge comprehensive population census

Opposition parties in Cyprus are calling for a comprehensive national population census, criticizing the current administration for relying on estimates rather than precise data.

Devrim Barçın, a Member of Parliament for the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), criticized Prime Minister Ünal Üstel’s recent statement that the population is approximately 500,000. Barçın argued that managing a country based on projections prevents effective planning for the economy, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and the national budget. He stated that the CTP’s first action upon taking office would be to conduct a full-scale census to ensure governance is based on real data rather than guesswork.

Similarly, Redif Ekinci, General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (TDP), announced that his party would implement a field-wide census if they come to power. Ekinci emphasized that essential services such as schools, hospitals, housing, transportation, water, electricity, and security are all planned based on population figures. He proposed establishing a “Population Census Committee” involving statisticians, demographers, academics, and professional organizations. The proposed plan includes using encrypted tablets for data collection, conducting pilot studies, and dividing the country into small census zones to ensure every residence, including construction sites and hotels, is accounted for.