Key youths demands

1. Affirmative action must be made to ensure a 50-50% representation of the youth in all public office.
2. The youth quota must be age-specific, that is to say only youth within the constitutional definition of youth (18-35 years) must have access to public office through the youth quota.
3. Political parties must be obliged to enforce the agreed youth quota percentage within their structures as a general rule to be eligible to contest.
4. An elective quota system that reserves space were youth can run against youth as opposed to a system of just appointing must be put in place.
5. Youth do not want 10 seats added to the current seats as this is expensive and come out of taxpayer’s money. The youth quota must be made from the seats that already exist.
6. The youth quota system should not be restricted to political parties but must be open to independent candidates.
7. The youth quota must be gender sensitive and ensure that young women and young men have an equal representation of 50-50% through the youth quota.
8. The youth quota system must be enforced from a grassroots level to national parliament and in all forms of public office. A youth quota should be there in Parastatals, Commissions, Councils, Ward Development Committees, Village Development Committees etc.
9. Electoral and Institutional reforms must be made to abolish all forms of youth evasive systems which restrict the genuine participation of youth.
10. Specific budget caps on how much is spent during election campaigns must be put in place and this must apply to all candidates.
11. The age for running for public office must be reduced from 21 years to 18 years. If you can vote at age 18 they should run at age 18.
12. Upper age limits and term limits must be put in place on the number of years one can spend in public office and on the number of times one can run and be re-elected for public office.
13. The required years of experience to access senior positions in public office must be lowered.
14. All positions in public office must be accessible by the time anyone turns 25.
15. Putting an end to political violence, vote-buying and intimidation.
16. Section 20 of the constitution should be enshrined as “Rights for the youth.”
17. The demands made by the youth should be added into section 20 of the constitution and enshrined as “Rights for the youth.”