PN launches party arm for youngsters aged 14 to 17

The Nationalist Party is creating a young people’s arm, "Start", within which teenagers aged 14 to 17 can participate, in an effort to renew the party and give the young generation a more important role.

The party’s Annual General Conference is set to start Sunday, and will, across an eight day period, discuss the events of the previous year and set out a vision for the future.

Addressing a press conference this morning, PN secretary general Clyde Puli said the party had recognised the challenges facing Malta, and in order to address them was first looking within itself to find what changes needed to be carried out.

“We do not want to be a party which only reacts to situations as they arise - we want to have a structured vision which can give the country what it needs,” he said.

He said that the Conference’s theme will be “Building a Future Together”. "This implies the enthusiasm of a young party,” he highlighted.

“During this year's Conference we will discuss various themes, but the most radical will be a change to the party’s statute, where we are going to make it possible for more young people to be involved in the leadership of the party, with the aim of increasing their representation in the administrative and executive sections.”

Puli said that he would be putting forth a motion to include eight new members within the party's executive who are under 30, bringing the total of such members to 14.

Joseph Grech, secretary general of the PN’s youth movement MZPN , emphasised that young people were always an important part of the party’s politics, and now that 16 and 17 year olds have been given the vote, it was again the time to welcome a wave of youngsters who were ready to involve themselves.

“The young people’s arm will be working hand in hand with MZPN, which will be helping and assisting it. We want our youngsters to be represented in the highest places within the party,” Grech said.

PN General Council president Kristie Debono underlined that the Conference would also include discussions in band clubs, where activists, local councillors and party members would have a chance to make their voice heard, putting into practice Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia’s way of doing politics from the ground up.