Labour presents 400 local council candidates

Two local council candidates are under 18 and a quarter are women, Joseph Muscat said as he presented the Labour Party’s 400 candidates for the upcoming elections.

The Labour leader said on Saturday that the party had presented the largest group of local council election candidates ever by any political party. He was speaking at the Upper Barrakka Garden in Valletta.

Muscat said the PL had improved in the number of women candidates that it fielded but was still below the party’s target to of 50% in all elections.

Muscat said that more than a third of candidates were aged under 35 and the party had also fielded several candidates with a disability.

Local elections in all 68 towns and villages across Malta and Gozo will be held on 25 May, the same day as elections for the European Parliament.

“We are present in a strong way in all regions, including Gozo where our candidature has increased drastically,” Muscat said.

He again accused the Nationalist Party of trying to disenfranchise voters in 23 localities by fielding fewer candidates than they currently hold seats.

“In these localities elections will be held because the PL fielded more candidates. We have an automatic majority in these localities but we must not be complacent,” Muscat said, urging candidates to go out and meet residents.

He also appealed to voters to go out and vote.