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Another first of the upcoming FNC elections is the inclusion of women in the electoral process. Approximately 1,100 of the 6,689 members of the FNC will be women. They will be eligible to stand for elections, as well as to vote for the 20 elected Council members.
While the FNC electoral process will not include a quota system for women, Minister of State for FNC Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash has said he would be happy to see 25 per cent of the Council"s seats taken by women.
In an effort to support and encourage the participation of women, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the UAE recently announced that they would be offering advice and support to female FNC candidates, to advance the issue of gender development.
Key figures including General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, chairperson of the UAE General Women's Union, have also thrown their support behind the participation of female candidates, encouraging female members of the Electoral College to put their names forward.
PEOPLE SPEAK
Omar Salem Ali Al Kiwani, 29
"I am longing to be able to vote for FNC members who will stand for the citizens and care for their needs. I would like to play a part in this historic occasion to pay my country back for what it has given me. The voting members of the FNC will choose those who will stand for the people of the UAE and in turn those elected should show complete and full responsibility to their positions. I think the problem of unemployment should top the agenda of the FNC and I trust that in the future all will be able to vote."
Jawad Sajwani, 34
"This [electoral process] is going to be a tough challenge - such initiatives are a good start, but we have to see it through. I certainly would like to see it succeed. However, I think change has to happen in the right way, and be customised to our culture and society. I would hope that we set our own benchmarks and be careful about what we take out of the models in other countries."
Najla Al Awadi, 29
"As a woman and a UAE national, I am extremely proud and optimistic that we have taken this step. There have always been calls for greater representation, and we've stood our ground and said that we'll do this at our own pace, when we are ready. Everyone always talks about democracy in the Middle East, but at the same time we don't want the American version. We have to find a formula that works for us. A lot of people forget that our country is only 35 years old, so we are very proud of this step. We have followed this process in other countries, but now it is happening in our society at the right time."
Rashid Ahmad, 24
"I think the upcoming elections are a very good thing because now the people can be involved in a process that affects them. The Council members will be elected from the people, so the issues raised should be closer to those that affect everyday people. In the old Council the decisions were made without asking people's opinions. I hope that now the decisions reflect more of our reality and that they tackle issues that affect us most."
- Compiled by Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter
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