By Namini Wijedasa
The Census and Statistics Department has asked President Chandrika Kumaratunga to decide whether the proposed census in the Jaffna peninsula should go ahead or be suspended because of growing protest from Tamil political parties and civil groups.

With only a month to go for the scheduled head count, Director General of Census A. G. W. Nanayakkara met President Kumaratunga on Thursday and told her about resistance from parliamentarians and civil society. He also handed over written protests and said that a decision about the census in Jaffna has now to be taken at the highest level.

"It has become a political issue and we cannot decide," Mr. Nanayakkara told ‘The Island.’ The department falls under the Ministry of Finance and Planning, headed by President Kumaratunga.

The government is facing pressure from within its ranks because of vehement opposition to the survey from the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP). The EPDP, which is known to have considerable clout within the People’s Alliance, met President Kumaratunga on Tuesday and voiced their own objections.

The Tamil United Liberation Front and other Tamil groups have also expressed the view that the tally can go ahead in other parts of the country but must be suspended in the north. The head count is scheduled countrywide for July 17.

Their contention is that since a huge slice of northern inhabitants have been displaced due to the war, a census conducted at the present time will reflect smaller area populations. Consequently, allocations for university admission and parliament will be reduced and budgetary allowances adversely affected because these privileges are calculated on the basis of population distribution.

Sources in Jaffna said that the census also faces opposition from government officials whose co-operation is necessary for the head count. This is another reason the department has referred the matter to the President, they said.

Meanwhile, the Census Department has appealed for help from the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR). "We feel that they can negotiate with those who are against the census and explore the possibility of going ahead with this important exercise," Mr. Nanayakkara said.

He noted that huge amounts of money have already been spent to lay the groundwork and stressed that the questionnaires they are to use in the survey will take displacement into account. Among other details, they will ask each individual information about their district of birth and district of previous residence.