The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia today instituted the practice of having an Open Day for the public. The Parliament’s doors were opened symbolically for the first time by the Assembly’s Chairman, Predrag Markovic, who welcomed students of First and Second Belgrade Secondary Schools and the Zemun Secondary School. The Assembly’s first guests were first acquainted with the composition and mode of work of the National Assembly, and were then met by representatives of parliamentary deputies’ groups.

The most interesting part of the visit was discussion with the Assembly’s Chairman, Predrag Markovic, and Vice-chairperson, Gordana Pop-Lazic, in the Assembly’s great auditorium, where sessions are held. The visitors were even shown how the electronic voting system operates, and they also had the opportunity to address those present from the Assembly’s rostrum. A student of the Zemun Secondary School invited the Chairman and heads of deputies’ groups to attend a session of their School Parliament, while a teacher from the First Belgrade Secondary School presented brochures on the school to the Assembly, and read “They Are Already Gathering”, a poem by nineteenth-century poet Vojislav Ilic, from the rostrum. Each school received the revised edition of Bora Majdanac’s monograph, The National Assembly of Serbia.

The four-hour visit saw students make a tour of the Presidential cabinet, the Assembly’s restaurants, the committee meeting rooms and deputies’ clubs, and get first-hand experience on where and how deputies and members of the Assembly’s administrative service work.

The Open Day is to become standard practice for the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, and is to be held every last Saturday of a month. The National Assembly will open its doors to the public again on 26 June 2004.