St Paul’s Bay deputy mayor Carlos Zarb, best known as the youngest-ever Labour councillor to be elected in 2019, will not be contesting for the local council elections in June.
“The main reason that led me to this decision is that I reached the end of my studies and I would like to focus on a career in the legal field and possibly even explore opportunities abroad,” he wrote on Facebook.
Speaking to Times of Malta Zarb said he will be completing his studies this year and plans to start his Masters in Advocacy.
"During my master's, I would need to carry out practice with a lawyer, so while I'm doing this, it does not make sense to run and then resign. It feels like I would be going against the people's wishes."
In 2019, then just 17 years old, Zarb had contested on a PL ticket for the local council elections. He had received the second-highest number of first-count votes in the St Paul’s Bay local election, making him the youngest-ever councillor to be elected.
At the time, he was unable to take up the post of deputy mayor due to his age, yet he was elected in the role later on.
The youngest councillor overall at the time was Abraham Aqulina from Għargħur, who was elected for PN at the age of 16.
In 2021, when he was just 19-years-old, Zarb was also appointed to the board of governors of Finance Malta.
In his Facebook post, the 21-year-old said he was thankful for the support he received over the last five years.
“The work we carried together resulted in more confidence and trust in youths. I promise that I will continue to work until the last days of my mandate and that this political journey that we started will not end here.”
He clarified with Times of Malta that he is also considering contesting for general elections at a later stage.
Zarb was one of the councillors who supported the government proposal to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to become mayors and deputy mayors.
Last December, Malta became the first EU country to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to become mayors and deputy mayors after parliament unanimously approved a new bill.
Under the new law, councillors under the age of 18 who win the highest number of votes from the party that gets the majority of votes can take up the post of mayor or deputy mayor.
Earlier this month, the Nationalist Party approved its youngest candidate, Nina Briffa,16, to run as local council candidate in Qrendi.
But she will not be the youngest candidate across the country: Izak Catania De Giovanni, who turns 16 this weekend, will be running as a Labour candidate for Fgura's local council.
Catania De Giovanni is the son of Labour MP Katya De Giovanni.