Appeals for young people to serve in politics were made this morning by Joseph Muscat, youth leaders and election candidates including Deborah Schembri.

The appeals were made at St Anne Street, Sliema, at the launching of a campaign called START organised by the Labour Youth Forum.

In a short speech, Dr Muscat underlined the duty to serve. He focused in particular to elections for half of Malta's local councils in March and said that more young people and women needed to come forward.

He stressed that the way local councils functioned needed to change. The councils should not be a bureaucratic extension of the central government but should instead fight for the rights of citizens and families. This was the idea which the PL would promote in the run-up to March, Dr Muscat said.

He also spoke on the divorce law, which comes into force in a week's time, and complained that the government had still not put in place the structures needed to deal with applications for divorce.

The activity was addressed by lecturer Andrew Azzopardi, PL candidate Deborah Schembri, teacher Wilfred Buttigieg and musician Sigmund Mifsud.

Mr Azzopardi and Mr Mifsud spoke on the importance of youths being active in society . Dr Schembri said she had been persuaded to become a Labour candidate after realising, during the divorce campaign, how she could be of service to society. Everyone, she said, could contribute to society.

Mr Buttigieg said he was supporting Dr Muscat in his quest for change in society and the PL and felt comfortable working within the Labour movement.

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