"Youth voter participation crucial": Parsley

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th Apr 2005

Chairman of Young Alliance Ian James Parsley has said the participation of young people at this year,s double-election is crucial to Northern Ireland's democracy, and noted Alliance's focus on youth issues.

Mr Parsley said: "Those in the 18-30 age group are the least likely to turn out at election time. This is somewhat understandable given the sectarian babble which all too often passes for politics here, but it is vital that young people use their voice to express their frustration with those who have led us up the cul-de-sac of political stagnation.

"If people want progress, and if people want to see the establishment of genuine democracy focusing on real issues such as tuition fees, water charges and the environment, then people have to turn out and vote

for it.

"My party has a proud tradition of dealing with the real political issues. Only recently we have campaigned for the Anti-Racism Network, worked with the Make Poverty History Campaign, and consistently proposed a real financial package that removes the education tax the government likes to call 'tuition fees'.

"This could not have happened without the hard work of my colleagues in the youth wing, which is growing rapidly. In both elections the average age of our party's candidates is well below 50, a third of whom are female. All this has been achieved because our party is genuinely inclusive and representative, not through any artificial means of 'positive discrimination'.

"While other parties promote a sectarian rhetoric based in the 19th century, ours is a party going forward in the 21st. What we seek is a mandate from young people to continue promoting progress, and opposing stagnation."

ENDS