Thursday, 15 September 2011
Statement by Mr. Trajko Veljanoski, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, on the occasion of 15 September - International Day of Democracy
In September 1997 the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) adopted the Universal Declaration on Democracy, and in 2007, on the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration, the United Nations declared September 15th - International Day of Democracy.
The parliaments around the world and the Inter-Parliamentary Union celebrated the International Day of Democracy for the first time in 2008 under the motto: “A parliament does not guarantee democracy, but there can be no democracy without a parliament”. This year when we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Macedonia and 10th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia is joining for the fourth time the celebration of 15th September - the International Day of Democracy, under the motto: “What do citizens expect from their parliament?”
Democracy is an inexhaustible topic with constant challenges not only for the transition countries, but also for the developed nations. The basic preconditions for democracy are: strong parliament, free and fair elections, guaranteed human rights, gender equality and non-discrimination, active civil society, efficient political parties, and independent media. There is a widely accepted belief that in a democracy, the parliament is the most important representative institution, an institution that represents the interests of the citizens and protects their rights. In order to continually strengthen and develop democracy, we need a strong parliament that functions based on several generally accepted principles and values: representation, transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.
Starting from these principles, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia is striving to become an institution that represents the interests of all segments in the society, that has a central role in the promotion of the democratic processes in the country by strengthening the political dialogue and its control function, and by promoting the spirit of mutual understanding, tolerance and solidarity.
Long live the International Day of Democracy!