Forum Zghazagh Laburisti support Vote16 public consultation

Forum Zghazagh Laburisti (FZL) supports the public consultation of Vote16 in the upcoming Budget next month.

FZL has said that it is on board with the public consultation of  voting rights being extended to 16-year-olds in the upcoming elections.

Last year, 16-year-olds were given to right to vote in local council elections for the first time, after Parliament unanimously approved two motions amending the General Elections Act and the Local Councils Act two years prior.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had said: “The vote for 16-year-olds in these council elections is only the first step towards giving young people the vote in general elections.”

The topic was raised again this month when family minister Michael Farrugia launched for public consultation the National Children’s Policy, which included extending voting rights to 16-year-olds by the year 2024. Several groups and individuals, including Alternattiva Demokratika Zghazagh, the National Youth Council and independent MP Marlene Farrugia argued, on the other hand, that youths should enjoy this right from the upcoming election, the National Youth Council being the first to suggest it.

“By this age, youths would have already made several important life decisions that determine the outcome of their future. Thus, they should have the right to determine the future of Malta,” FZL said in a statement.

The government has since said that it will be holding the issue for public consultation. “The government feels that there should be consensus on this issue, since the government did not have an electoral mandate on it,” a government spokesperson said.