This is indeed a good day for 16- and 17-year-olds.
It was unfortunate that the debate had stopped snappishly during the previous legislature. It is true that granting young people the opportunity to participate in the ballot for the Local Council was the tangible electoral promise but it started appearing as if political parties couldn’t handle the impetuousness and spontaneity of young people and that is why they had taken this half-baked route. Let’s face it, it is no easy challenge for political parties to break the mould but it seems that Brexit and the inherent lobbying gave the necessary incentive to start making things right.
In fact, a consultation document was launched on Saturday by the Honourable Julia Farrugia MP, the Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms, Citizenship and Simplification of Administrative Procedures whose responsibilities also include a number of reforms that the Government is taking on board in this early stage of the legislature. The fact that on the 99th day of this ‘new’ Government this consultation takes off the ground is undeniably good news.
There seems to be a genuine attempt that 16- and 17-year-olds will be certified to vote for the General Elections and the MEP elections with the possibility of allowing young people to contest with the prospect of being elected Mayors. Maybe we will finally get to a point where young people will not be treated just as pretty faces sitting behind their leaders clapping and cheering like life is one big party but actually engage in the political scenario, participate in the changes and transformations they want for their community and hold together a teenagers’ lobby made up of circa 9,000 votes that will make our current political class see some sense.
Naturally there are quite a few that either lack belief in young people or are genuinely interested in their wellbeing and who think that at 16 young people shouldn’t be bothered with other matters. However, I disagree. Political responsibilities to vote and contest will add to the social capital of young people.
I know I have mentioned this in a number of articles I have written in the past but I believe that young people can make the grade and contribute positively. I myself together with so many other young people were affianced in the struggle there was in the 80’s that saw so many teenagers actively engaged in the political scene at the time. We were the front liners as we pushed the Government of the time to the limit. We were the ones chased by the infamous riot squads, we graced up to the likes of tugs wearing an MP status and we set the ball rolling for change. So I’m perfectly fine with young people sitting around boardroom tables where decisions are taken.
As I had written in an article some time back on this same newspaper; ‘Never have I been more convinced that the current political climate needs the young vote to bring a much needed change in our political landscape.’ (TMI 8/2/2017).
Let’s take the plunge.