In one of his famous political jibes, Winston Churchill said: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” Yet Churchill also quipped that democracy is the worst form of government “except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time”.

In short, democracy is not perfect but it is the best form of government we have.

Our democratic structures are constantly evolving. This month, two new elements of democratic voting will occur on the same day – an abrogative referendum and the lowering of the minimum voting age in local council elections to 16. Both are firsts in Maltese political history.

The question about whether 16-year-olds should vote has been widely debated in many countries, and Malta is among several others extending voting rights in this direction. Yet sometimes one does wonder whether the reasons for doing so have been properly understood.

For instance, Justice and Local Government Minister Owen Bonnici has now said that the government will consider extending the franchise in national elections to 16-year-olds if there is a good turnout of this age group at the local council elections this month.

This irrational approach to the truth reduces the credibility of the pro-hunting lobby

How are the two related? Sixteen-year-olds are either considered mature enough to vote in national elections or they are not. Nobody should be either penalised or granted additional rights, depending on whether or not they choose to vote in local council elections.

Voting depends on a whole range of factors and is not obligatory. Voter turnout at local elections is always lower than at national elections.

Having said that, I think it is a mistake to not vote in the local council elections. Some people don’t bother as they feel that local councils are irrelevant. I assure you that they are not.

From my experience working in the environment and heritage sector, I know full well what a big difference a good local council, particularly the mayor, can make.

Local councils do not only discuss fixing pavements and changing light bulbs, as some people might think, but they are involved in much more than that. To give just one example, when a controversial development project is proposed in a locality, the voice of the local council can be a swaying factor.

The planning system gives weight to local councils in decision-making. Local councils are also often involved in the management of heritage or natural sites in their town or village. It is therefore crucial to have competent, honest and dedicated councillors on board, to whichever political party they belong.

The local council campaigns this year are focusing on the importance of youths. Various student bodies have taken public positions on spring hunting, but they have not been as vocal about the local council elections. Yet the right of 16-year-olds to vote has not been extended to the referendum, citing the possibility of legal challenges by the hunters.

The hunters have tried every trick in the book to sabotage the referendum. They even tried to insist that a referendum on hunting would be unconstitutional, until this argument was thrown out by the courts.

They insist that Malta negotiated a special derogation with the European Union. Yet the derogation is available for all member states to apply within specific conditions. The difference is that Malta insists on using it for spring hunting, while most other countries do not.

This is not the point of the referendum anyway. Whether a derogation can be applied or not, many people simply do not agree with spring hunting, which is why they petitioned for a referendum.

When convenient, we are told that the EU should not interfere and tell us what to do. But when it suits them, the hunters then insist that EU regulations are all that matters. They want to both have the cake and eat it.

They have launched a glitzy campaign with quail pastizzi and billboards showing happy young families living in a hunting paradise.

That is fine. However, they have also persisted in saying that other hobbies will be targeted next, to the point that a group of 12 prominent lawyers felt compelled to hold a press conference to explain that this is not true. Other hobbies are not at risk.

Yet the pro-hunting lobby just ignored their valid arguments, perhaps thinking that if you say something often enough and with conviction, people will believe you, especially as most people are not familiar with the intricacies of the law.

This irrational approach to the truth reduces the credibility of the pro-hunting lobby. Taking an active stance against the democratic right to hold a referendum does not help either.

Another famous statesman, former US president Abraham Lincoln, once said: “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”

Let’s avoid those blisters. I hope people will not sit at home on April 11 but will go out and vote.

Whatever the outcome, everyone should take advantage of their right to participate, and to vote. It is a precious right which should not be taken for granted.

petracdingli@gmail.com

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