Young candidates for Saturday’s local council elections, including some University students, agreed during a debate held yesterday that they need to strive for unity in their communities, and that each councillor is to work with the needs of the community in mind.

The candidates were from the three political parties; the Labour Party, the Nationalist Party and Alternattiva Demokratika – the Green Party. The debate was organised as part of activities for the KSU Organisations’ Days, by Insite – the Student Media Organisation and TDM 2000 Malta, at the University campus. Issues on whether young candidates have what it takes to run for their respective localities and whether they have enough backing from their political parties, were discussed.

AD chairperson Michael Briguglio said he was active in Moviment Graffitti during his University days and had protested against stipend cuts. He was elected to the Sliema local council twice and is contesting again.

Local councils are important to deal with the micro issues in communities, he said. While noting that the issues local councils deal with are political, he said AD works outside partisan politics. He also charged that developers breach regulations and endanger the environment because they are not stopped by the two main political parties “because they finance them”. AD has a track record doing the opposite and even one elected councillor on its ticket can make a difference, he said.

He argued that while cross-party voting is very important especially when it comes to these elections, the main political parties were not focusing on it. In his opinion, this was “the worst form of arrogance”.

Many times, AD serves as a bridge between councillors and this happened in Sliema in the past, he said.

Young people are participating in politics because they were making their issues heard with regard to obscene development at Wied il-Għasel, in Mosta or at Ħondoq ir-Rummien, Qala, but contractors were bribing the main political parties.

Dr Justin Fenech, a notary public who is contesting for the Swieqi local council, said that the political background of individuals is important.

The problem with development is that our society does not have a good idea of proper urban planning and the infrastructure of localities is not sustaining their growth.

He pointed out there are 9,000 residents in Swieqi but recreational facilities are not enough.

Antoinette Cefai, a new candidate for the Kirkop local council on the PL ticket, said organisations in her village feel they are not given enough attention, even though it is a small community.

Josianne Cutajar, a fifth-year law student who is contesting with the PL for Nadur, spoke of the importance for young people to participate in society. In her case, being active in the youth centre gave her important social skills and a taste of voluntary work. Eventually she became the deputy mayor at the youth local council.

If elected, she will push for a childcare centre to be set up by the council, in partnership with the private sector.

PN Mosta candidate James Cassar, who is also president of the student organisation SDM and student representative on the senate, said the sense of community can be created in every town, including large ones like Mosta that has a population of 22,000. This must be created by involving people because everyone has an important contribution to make.

Alex Muscat, who is contesting the same locality, but on the PL ticket, spoke of the need for “new blood in politics”. Many young people feel disillusioned by the way politics takes place but he insisted that the time of tribal politics is over, although he argued this still happens.

Political pique benefits no one, but if councillors are to work together for the young and old alike, this island can be at the forefront on an EU level. For this reason, young people should not be afraid to be revolutionary.

Robert Callus, who is contesting Mosta on behalf of AD, said that unfortunately, many people, including young ones, see politics as a means of accusing and insulting others – something they do not like and so feel discouraged. But this is not the way the AD works.

Ian Dingli, who was elected mayor of Dingli at 19, and is contesting the elections for the third time, is in the sixth year of the law course. Four out of the five councillors in his council were young people and they all worked together. Lack of unity or under representation were non-issues for Dingli. Cross-party voting is also very common in elections for his village.

He also argued that the PN was happy with the levels they’ve reached at local councils and did not send an electoral manifesto to people’s houses – a statement the PN candidates rebutted.

He called for councils to be more autonomous and to be given more tools to work because more decentralisation is necessary.

Meanwhile, he would like to see more people participating in the local council’s work and is proposing live streaming of meetings.

Debate moderator Daniel Camilleri asked about the chances of having local councils collaborating on matters of national interest and Mr Dingli replied this already happens to an extent. A number of local councils argued against proposed plans for the Delimara power station extension, particularly the use of Heavy Fuel Oil, but authorities still went ahead with their decisions.

Ernest Mercieca, 18, who is contesting for the Dingli local council for the first time said that over the past years, his hometown has been regenerated. He wants the exchange of disparaging comments between the two parties to stop and people to focus their energy on working for others.

PN Sliema candidate Julian Galea, who last weekend apologised for disparaging comments he passed against Labourites during an informal meeting at the council, was invited to the debate but said he couldn’t make it.