In Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child it is being stated that “a child means every human being below the age of 18 years”. In Article 3 it is emphasised that “in all actions concerning children taken by legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration”.
These two articles, which have been inscribed since 1990, after due consideration and with the sole interests of the child in mind, provide, as a state of fact, that a child’s frailty should not be tampered with and therefore, enough time should be given for the child to achieve a certain amount of maturity. That is the reason why it is being affirmed that a human being is still a child below the age of 18.
It is queer how the voice of the parents, in such an important matter as voting at 16, is conspicuous by its absence. Why is it that politicians are deciding what our 16-year-olds should do and not we, the parents? Why are parents not raising their voices?
Have we become so lethargic and indifferent in matters concerning our children? Aren’t we, as parents, aware that a 16-year-old is at a critical stage of development? Why is society burdening our 16-year-olds with something that shouldn’t be their main concern at that stage in their growth?
By giving due importance to the best interests of the child, Article 3 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child recognises that the level of the child’s participation in decisions must be appropriate to the child’s level of maturity. Our legislators in Parliament, by giving our 16-year-olds the power to vote in general elections, are not considering their level of maturity.
Who are we kidding? Politicians are not concerned or worried about our 16-year-olds but about the lack of support and interest in partisan politics. They want to catch our youth young so that they would be able to indoctrinate them early and, hopefully, see their support increase.
This is a disservice to our youth. By all means let our youth be interested in politics in general and let them learn what’s going on around them without getting them involved in partisan politics at such a young and delicate age.
What right have we to hasten their process of maturity?