Two-term FNC member focused on federal budgets

Elected for a first term then appointed by the Ruler of RAK for a second, Dr Abdulrahim Al Shahin is not a believer in taking a back seat with matters of national fiscal concern, Ola Salem reports.

Dr Abdulrahim Al Shahin ensures his voice is heard, especially on matters of national budget, in his second stint as a member of the Federal National Council. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National

ABU DHABI // As the dust settled on the FNC elections three years ago and members prepared for the new council term, Dr Abdulrahim Al Shahin was gearing up for a strong return.

After being elected in 2006, Dr Al Shahin was appointed in 2011 by the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah to serve another four years.

Known as a strong voice in the council, he continued with his incisive debates on budget irregularities and delays in government law enforcement.

Dr Al Shahin also called out to the Government when cooperation reached an all-time low.

While 90 per cent of councillors were newcomers familiarising themselves with their work, Dr Al Shahin realised that the Government had neglected to pass the 2012 federal budget to the FNC for approval.

“The Cabinet approved the budgets but then they did not come to us,” he said.

“This goes against the constitution, which states in Article 129 that the budgets need to be passed to the FNC before the end of the year.”

Even after bringing this to the council’s attention and questioning Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for FNC Affairs, the budget was still not presented.

He was later told it was because the Government was concerned that the council would take too long to approve it.

Other clashes with the Government came during budget debates.

In 2012 when the council was due to discuss the 2010 closing of accounts, listing all federal spending and misspending, Dr Al Shahin led calls refusing to pass the budget in protest.

An angered Dr Gargash said the council had no right to do so. The budget was then sent back to a council committee to be studied with the Government.

Another notable moment for Dr Al Shahin was when he grilled the Government over the lack of responses to FNC questions.

After sending off a parliamentary question to Obaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, Dr Al Shahin received a response that left him baffled.

Mr Al Tayer had refused to respond to the question because it had not been signed by the Speaker, Mohammed Al Murr, and therefore, he said, he was not obliged to answer it.

Dr Al Shahin told the council, Mr Al Murr and Dr Gargash that he had to read the minister’s response several times to digest it, and was shocked by what he perceived as a mocking response.

A former member of the UAE’s human rights organisation, he was also the moving force behind the formation of the FNC’s permanent human rights committee.

The move came after a 2012 European Union resolution criticising the UAE over conditions for migrant workers, the status of women, and for the death penalty.

Dr Al Shahin asked Dr Gargash to tell the council of the steps the Government had taken to respond to the criticisms.

Even though many of his clashes have been with Dr Gargash, who represents the Government in FNC sessions, Dr Gargash has joked that the men are brothers outside the council.

With a strong grasp of politics, Dr Al Shahin has also tried to think as the Government would when sending recommendations, and has joined political awareness talks.

With years of success and achievement to show for his time in the FNC, he does not want to return for another four years.

“I was first elected then I was later appointed,” Dr Al Shahin says. “I tried both.

“Now it’s time for someone else to have their turn.”