JUBA, APRIL 13, 2023 (Thejubamirror News ) – The Chairman of South Sudan’s National Bureau of Statistics Isaiah Chol Aruai on Thursday said the recently released population estimate which put a number of the country’s population at 12.4 million will not be used for elections.
The National Population Estimate Survey of 2021 put the country’s population at 12, 44,018 including internally displaced persons.
It was conducted from 28th May to 15 June 2021 in ten states and three administrative areas.
The estimates sparked criticism from members of the public who term the population estimate survey as a “political tool” designed for President Salva Kiir Mayardit to win the December 2024 elections after Warrap State; his hometown led the states with 2,639,487 people.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference held in Juba on Tuesday, Chol Aruai said the estimated data is not suitable for elections.
“The survey results will not be used for elections, we do not advise, it is not possible to use the current figures that we have arrived at, you cannot elect representatives based on the figures that were arrived at using a survey,” he said.
Chol said the survey will help the country’s policymakers and organizations provide better service delivery for citizens.
“The survey results will be used for development planning, decision-making and provision of services; monitoring the performance of national development strategy as well as the sustainable development goals; drafting policy briefs for policymakers and reference points of research,” he said.
“The information is from the satellite imagery plus random sample size, some areas were not counted, the question of comparing states, the capital with other states, may not be holding because it was a question of sampling,” he added.
