On the occasion of celebrating this significant day, the MPs Obrad Stanišić and Emilo Labudović visited today the democracy workshops of the Parliament of Montenegro, where they spoke with students of class IX-2 of the Primary School “Risto Ratković” from Bijelo Polje. During the workshop, the covered topics included: the role and significance of the Parliament in the legislative process, division of powers, and the types of elections.

Through the democracy workshops project, the International Day of Democracy was also celebrated on Friday, 13 September, when the Vice President of the Parliament of Montenegro Mr Suljo Mustafić received the students of the Primary School “Oktoih”, and spoke with them about democracy. On that same day, the female MPs Zorica Kovačević and Azra Jasavić were guests at the democracy workshop dedicated to this event, and answered the children’s questions about the idea of democracy, the role of MPs in a democratic society and the importance of the voice of the people heard through their elected representatives during democratic decision making.

The celebration of the International Day of Democracy is aimed at shining a spotlight on the importance of citizens' opinions, both expressed directly and through their elected representatives, in political, economic, social, developmental, environmental and technological debates.

The UN General Assembly declared 15 September the International Day of Democracy, encouraging member states to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy. The Inter-Parliamentary Union, under the slogan “Better parliaments, stronger democracies”, is promoting the International Day of Democracy thought its member parliaments in 162 countries in the world.

More information on this year’s celebration of the International Day of Democracy in the Parliament of Montenegro is also available on the website of the Inter-Parliamentary Union: http://www.ipu.org/idd/.