Youngest mayor in history 'to repay people’s trust in him'

Nw Kirkop mayor Terence Agius, 18 has become Malta's youngest ever mayor. 20-year-old Giljan Aquilina defeats long-standing Gharghur mayor Mario Gauci. 

Giljan Aquilina (left) and Terence Agius (right)
Giljan Aquilina (left) and Terence Agius (right)
The young mayors of Kirkop and Gharghur

Terence Agius, 18, has become Malta’s youngest ever mayor, taking charge of the Kirkop local council.

“I thank the Kirkop residents for the faith that they have showed in me, and I now need to repay that trust by working hard to give Kirkop what he deserves,” Agius told MaltaToday. “The council must work as a united team and focus on one common interest, the residents of Kirkop.”

Agius was elected as mayor on the Labour ticket after winning 391 votes at the first count, The Kirkop quota had stood at 326 votes.

Prior to his election, the youngest mayor in Malta’s history was Ian Borg, now EU funds parliamentary, who became Dingli’s mayor in 2005 at 19 years old.

“First we must discover the needs of Kirkop residents, then work to fulfill them, and eventually start working on more ambitious projects, so that Malta can truly become optimistic,” Agius said, echoing his party’s slogan for this year’s round of local council elections.

Newly-elected Gharghur mayor Giljan Aquilina, 20, similarly promised to work with his counsellors for the benefit of his locality’s residents.

“The local council will work as a team, and not according to partisan lines, as it has always done” Aquilina, who was elected on the Nationalist ticket said. “The Gharghur local council can become an example of unity to other Maltese local councils.”

Aquilina won 393 votes at the first count, narrowly edging out Mario Gauci, who had been Gharghur mayor since 1994, by five votes.  

“I would like to see more youth participating in elections though, particularly now that 16-year-olds can vote as well," he said.