Negative reactions to the national census planned for the end of February.

Many people are protesting, because the questionnaires are to include names, dates of birth and identification numbers - those are the personal numbers every Czech citizen is given at birth and has for the rest of his life. The Office of Statistics, which organizes the census every ten years, says it needs the information to make sure the census results are precise. But with our newly gained sense of the right to privacy, many Czechs are sensitive to having anybody know about their private affairs - why should I have to say how many TV sets or cars I have, why should I give information that could get into the hands of my business competitors? MLADA FRONTA DNES quotes one lawyer who has made up his mind to refuse to fill in the form, regardless of the fine he'll have to pay. The whole idea, he says, is in breach of the Charter of Human Rights and Liberties.