Young Greens want extended vote in all elections

Extending voting rights to 16-year olds in all elections, namely general, European and local elections, would be a clear indicator of youth empowerment, Alternattiva Demokratika Zaghzagh said.

Reuben Zammit from the Green Party's youth wing said: "As the youth organisation which has been vocal on extending universal suffrage to 16-year olds since before the 2008 elections, we are proud that AD has been the only party to take this position in its entirety."

He noted that Labour and more recently the PN have as usual resorted to currying favour with the electorate through half-baked measures by promising this right exclusively for Local Council and European Parliament elections.

"We as yet cannot understand the logic behind limiting youth empowerment to these for a to the exclusion of General Elections. Are the youth of the country simply being thrown a bone?" Zammit added.

ADZ's Robert Callus said: "16 year olds take vital decisions about their lives all the time, be it in the choice of their careers or their education. Why should they not choose those who will be making the policies that shape their future as well? While no one is immune from succumbing to electoral gimmicks and empty rhetoric, there is nothing to suggest that young adults are any more prone to making irrational decisions than anybody else."