Rakočević: Active and passive voting rights of persons with disabilities are an inseparable part of civic sovereignty

The General Director of the Directorate for the Protection and Equality of Persons with Disabilities at the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, Ms. Irena Rakočević, participated in the final conference of the project "Equality of Persons with Disabilities in Political and Public Life – The Voice That Is Heard," organized by the Association of Paraplegics Podgorica and the Union of Paraplegic Associations of Montenegro, with financial support from the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights. The conference was an opportunity to present the project results and research on the political participation of persons with disabilities, as well as to discuss institutional mechanisms and future directions for improving their equal participation in political and public life. In her address, Rakočević emphasized that active and passive voting rights of persons with disabilities constitute an integral part of civic sovereignty, and that disability cannot be a legal basis for restricting legal subjectivity and political rights. The conference also presented monitoring results of the political participation of persons with disabilities and recommendations for improving the legislative and institutional framework, aiming to create a more inclusive electoral system and greater participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life. The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights remains committed to the consistent implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to improving the legislative and institutional framework that guarantees full and equal realization of the political rights of persons with disabilities. In cooperation with relevant institutions, organizations of persons with disabilities, and international partners, the Ministry will continue working to remove all barriers that limit political participation, improve accessibility of the electoral process, and strengthen conditions for full participation of persons with disabilities in the public and political life of Montenegro.