Russian MPs celebrate the Day of Parliamentarianism

The State Duma of the Russian Empire held its first meeting on 27 April 1906. Since 2012, the Russian Federation has celebrated the Day of Russian Parliamentarianism on 27 April.

Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko congratulated the members of parliament, noting that: “Bodies of people's representation play an important role in the political system of modern Russia. Today, the Parliament of the Russian Federation, while developing the traditions of democracy, consistently stands for the interests of citizens at the federal level. Members of the Council of Federation and the State Duma are actively participating in addressing urgent issues of social and political life of the state, discussing and defining the path for its further development. We rely on an extensive law-making background and our common task is to appreciate and cherish the institution of parliamentarism”.

Speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, member of the IPA CIS Council Vyacheslav Volodin also congratulated his colleagues: “Not only is the State Duma a legislative body, but it is, first and foremost, a representational body. That is why the communication with people, representation of their interests is the essence of everyday work of a parliamentarian. Constant link with the electorate should never be lost”.

During its meeting in March this year, the IPA CIS Council adopted a resolution to appeal to the Interparliamentary Union with the proposal to introduce an initiative in the United Nations on establishing the International Day of Parliamentarism.

According to the IPA CIS Secretary General – Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat Alexey Sergeev, the establishment of the International Day of Parliamentarism “would help to attract the attention of the international community to the role of parliamentarians in ensuring peace, stability, economic growth, and promote the building of the image of Parliamentarism as the key democratic tradition”.