Parliament has approved the second reading of the bill seeking to amend the constitution in order to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 for general elections and MEP elections.
Both sides of agreed with amendments. The bill will now move to a second committee stage before the third reading, which will be followed by the final vote.
Once approved, Malta will be the second country in the European Union to lower the voting age to 16, following Austria.
The motion was initiated by Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms Julia Farrugia Portelli and seconded by PN Deputy Leader David Agius. Speaking in parliament this evening, Farrugia Portelli thanked all three political parties present in parliament for their contribution to the debate.
Pointing towards claims that the process to extend the voting rights had begun under the PN administration, Farrugia Portelli said that the "current reality is that under this government we have moved forward, and on this, we are moving together with the opposition."
Speaking on the amendment itself, she said that a number of meetings she held with students around the country showed that young people are well-read and have developed strong analytical skills.
"They have opinions on local and European politics, and should have a say at issues that directly affect them such as employment, the environment, infrastructure, and health," she said.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2DSVRXv
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