Alternattiva Zghazagh (ADZ) said today it was in favour of 16-year-olds having a right to vote in all elections and referenda.

In a statement, ADZ said Maltese society would be missing a lot from these people's exclusion from voting in the referendum.

AD, it said, had proposed in its electoral manifesto that 16-year-olds should vote in local, national and European elections. Both the Labour and Nationalist parties had agreed to limit the vote at 16 to councils.

"We believe in a society where youth are fully empowered and included. A referendum such as this one would give a fresh voice to the electorate by including 16-18-year-olds in the voting process, who should have the right to vote in such a democratic process in order to be fully contributing citizens to our society."

On April 11, 16-year-olds were to be considered mature to vote for local councils, yet immature to vote in the referendum.

"Who are the wise guys in the so called progressive government and the revamped PN who have come to this decision," ADZ secretary general Anna Azzopardi said.

She asked why had it taken the PN youth wing so long to decide that they wanted 16-year-olds to vote in the referendum, almost as if the referendum had hit them by surprise.