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Divorce referendum | ‘Give all young voters the right to vote’ - AD
Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party accused both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party for “acting in a non-democratic manner in excluding 2,800 18-year old voters from voting in the forthcoming divorce referendum.”
Speaking during a press conference, AD’s chairperson Michael Briguglio said that the “Nationalist and Labour duopoly is once again acting in a way which reduces democracy to a cartel between the two parties. Not only have they devised legislation which excludes other political parties and movements from the referendum electoral process, but they are also both to blame for the exclusion of 2,800 18 year old voters from the forthcoming divorce referendum. Instead of blaming each other both parties should reach parliamentary consensus to allow these voters to exercise the basic right to vote".
Dirk Urpani, AD Spokesperson for Youth and Sports, said that, "it is very discouraging to see the leaders of our country shape democracy to how it suits their needs, especially when it comes to young people, who should be actively encouraged to participate openly in democracy with the use of their vote. Instead of fighting over how to prevent 2800 young people from voting, our Government should be seeking to introduce the 16+ vote so that this democracy can be more representative. In itself, the fact that some people who will not be entitled to vote will be 18 years and 8 months old clearly shows that Malta's electoral system requires change".
David Friggieri, AD Spokesperson for Justice and Home Affairs, stressed that "we should resist the temptation to regard this issue as a purely technical matter which one of the two parties may or may not have made a mess of. We should certainly refuse to get caught up in the PN and PL blame game.
The truth of the matter is that this voter eligibility charade has become a staple of this country's electoral process. Yesterday it was residents of old people's homes, today it's 2,800 young people. There appears to be a worrying element of arbitrariness and uncertainty built into the system. This factor alone raises serious concerns about the country's democratic processes," he said.
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GonziPeNe irid iregga lura l-pajjizna ghal zmien zijuh, bil-knisja tindahal f`kollox.
Issa anke il-vot liz-zaghzagh irid icahhad. Flok joqghod jiprova jwahhal fil-PL, jekk vera jiddispjacih ghal li gara, ahjar jara kif ha jirranga biex dawn iz-zaghzagh jinharigilhom il-vot. Jekk ma jaghmelx hekk, ma jkun kredibbli. Mhux ghax sa jisthi!
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@ car u tond: whenever labour is attacked we always get a rant on labour's historical achievements ... so what.. ? how does it exculpate them now?
@RJ first of all brush your grammer ... secondly: Is it difficultfor you to understand that both PL and PN are represented on the Electoral Commission? So if the system is messed up, who should be blamed? come on give me an answer....
Thirdly stop repeat the ONE news mantra, this is the irony of this story that we get PN and PL playing the blame game.... PL accusing the PN of not honouring a commitment taken during and EC meeting and the PN accusing the PL etc ... The issue is not whether it was the PN's lack of honest or the PL's lack of foresight. The issue is that we are in this situation during each and every election, thanks to a messed up system which is promoted by both. You can keep repeating whatever you hear on One news till kingdom come, you will not chnage the truth! Rather than changing the whole mess PL opted for an ad hoc solution.... If you don't see this then you are living in cloud cuckoo land... Well what can I tell you? Welcome to Malta !
Luke Camilleri •
If they are old enough to pay taxes, drink, drive , get married be RESPONSIBLE, why not allowed to express their opinion in a referendum?
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Michael Briguglio HUWA Dr Gonzi u il PNazjonalista li ma JRIDUX lil dawn iz zazghah JIVVOTAW ghax il PNazjonalista u Dr Gonzi JAFU li jekk IHALLU LIL DAWN l-2800 JIVVOTAW HAFNA MINNHOM SER JIVVOTAW FAVUR ID DIVORZJU dik hija li storja kollha jekk irid DR GONZI ghandu is SETA li JIRRANGA BIEX DAWN IZ ZAZGHAH JIVVOTAW IMMA DR GONZI HUWA COWARD U IRID ICCADHOM MILLI JIVVOTAW
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Dear Mark,
the right to vote for women was won by the Labour Party after a hard battle against PN excuses; the right to vote for youths over 21 years of age was won by the Labour Party after a hard battle and a lot of excuses, the right to vote for 18 year old was won by the Labour Party after the PN voted against, the decriminilisation of homosexuals was voted in by the Labour Party after PN voted against. This is history; do you think the PN is acting differently in the case of 2800 youths deprived of their voting rights? NO , simply bringing the same excuses. Think, please think; the PL might not be the perfect political machine, but its track record in terms of social progress speaks for itself.
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@Charles Zebbugi: totally agree with you. AD are quite narrow minded when they want to. And what exactly are they obtaining by repeating PLPN each time? Are they getting any new votes: no (if anything they are losing but then of course it is the "stagnating PLPN duopoly"'s fault). The only thing that they are obtaining is getting people more disillusioned by politics.
@Mark : people who comment are not bloggers (not very difficult to understand either). I agree with you that the electoral system could be made in a way that once you are 18 you should vote. And i'm pretty sure that many of its shortcoming is derived from mistakes in the past. However, to say that Labour is to be blamed for the 2,800 people denied the right to vote (as AD is after saying) is downright stupid and pathetic.
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If both the P.N & the P.L,wants these 2800 people to vote, I'm sure that they can find a way to solve the problem,unless one of them has a hidden agenda that things remain as they are. You don't have to be Nostradamus to guess who is this party.
I appeal to these voters to keep this in mind when they vote in the next general election. Remember which party is offering a solution to solve this situation and which party is opposing the solution to all this.
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Let me explain this to the pro-PL bloggers because they seem to just not get it. This charade happens in each and every election, because our electoral law works that way.... The two poltical parties have the greatest leverage on the process! So it is not a matter of whether or not there was an agreement between both the PN and the PL biex nillapazzaw (presumably that is what you are hearing on one news)! It is a question of a system which has been messed up by both parties... This should never happen, if being 18 years of age entitles me to the right to vote then preventing me from voting on the basis of some petty details such as whether or not my name happens to be listed on the electoral registers, denys my right to vote PERIOD. If labour is so annoyed at the situation then they should propose to SCRAP it on not ask for a one time patch up!!!!! This is the issue... will the pro-PL bloggers understand that?
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Same old AD. When it has a good reason to criticise the PN, somehow, they have to put their two cents worth of blame the PL. No wonder this party is going nowhere. I agree that when the PL should be criticised, then by all means do it, but do not involve both parties.
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AD should really explain how is Labour denying 2,800 young people the right to vote? AD need to put forward some serious arguments if they want to go anywhere. At this rate, this party risks seeing its base shrinking further in the next election.
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Honestly, i think AD are just being ridiculous. How can they keep repeating their "PLPN" mantra even in this case? you can't just keep saying PLPN for everything that happens in this country. This is like saying sharing the blame 50-50%; which is not only nonsense but very bad. It is clear in this case that the PN wants 2,800 young people NOT to vote because Dr Muscat offered a solution and the PN did not accept the proposal and also Dr Refala said that the PL resolution to allow the 2800 did not go against the law but the Gonzi regime insisted that it go against the law and did not allow these youths to vote. Please Dr Gonzi you are still on time , Agree with the PL and let these youths to vote!
Micheal Bonanno •
Peppi X. A good question But somehow, no one from the PN side will want to answer it.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
Jekk tassew kulhadd qed jaqbel li dawn l-2800 zghazugh jinghataw il-vot, x'qed izomm lill-Awtoriatjiet milli jaghmlu dan? Min qed attwalment jinheba wara din il-polemika biex ma jirrangax is-sitwazzjoni?
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Honestly, i think AD are just being ridiculous. How can they keep repeating their "PLPN" mantra even in this case? you can't just keep saying PLPN for everything that happens in this country. This is like saying sharing the blame 50-50%; which is not only nonsense but very bad. It is clear in this case that one party wants 2,800 young people to vote and the other not.
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not much to say or add with all this, Just "proset"!
