Albania's new census gets under way, authorities call for public participation.

Text of report in English by Albanian state news agency ATA

["2011 Population, Housing Census Projects Starts on Saturday" - ATA headline]

Tirana, 1 October: As many as 12,000 INSTAT [Institute of Statistics] surveyors across the country will launch Saturday [1 October] a three-week door to door population and housing census on Saturday to compile a full population and housing statistics.

Relevant authorities have appealed to citizens to cooperate in this process, which will provide a clear picture of Albania's socio-economic reality and will serve as basis for planning anti-poverty and development policies and reforms process in the country.

Minister for Innovation and ICT Genc Pollo, also Chairman of the Census 2011 Central Commission, has called on citizens a day earlier to ignore anti-census calls and respond to the census questionnaire as way to contribute to their own families and the country.

Berisha: Albanians Should Get Involved in Population, Housing Census Process as Free Citizens

Prime Minister Sali Berisha has called on Albanians to get involved in the population and housing census process as free citizens, as he considers this process of paramount importance in the country's history. …