Voters travel from far and wide to have say in historic Sharjah poll

On milestone day for elections in the UAE, poll organisers report glitch-free ballot that has captured public’s imagination.

Fathiya Obaid casts her vote in the Sharjah Consultative Council elections at the Sharjah Chess Club on Thursday. Pawan Singh / The National

SHARJAH // Voters in Kalba travelled home from far and wide to be part of a historic day for democracy in the UAE.

Many were keen to make their vote count by selecting the candidate who they felt best represented their needs.

Ali Jassim, who works in Abu Dhabi, returned home with his cousin to cast his ballot.

“I came from Abu Dhabi yesterday to vote for the right person, who supports young people and would work on supporting their needs and provide better opportunities,” said the 33-year-old.

Nawal Aziz, 29, wanted to support female candidates and voted for one of them.

“We need more women to make important rules and speak on behalf of other women,” she said. “It’s the first time we get to choose members of the consultative council. Everyone should take advantage of this opportunity and support the person whom they trust.”

Thursday was the first of four polling days in the first-of-its-kind election being held under the slogan Take Part in Decision Making. The polls are open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Early signs were that the voting process was straightforward and that there were no glitches.

Mohammed Salem Al Kaabi, chairman of the Emirates Human Rights Association (EHRA), reported that the day had proceeded smoothly, thanks to excellent organisation by the National Election Committee.

“The process was smooth and citizens were excited to cast their votes in the first SCC election,” he said, adding that the EHRA had 14 representatives stationed at polling stations to monitor the election process. “So far, all observers’ reports are extremely positive,” Mr Al Kaabi said.

Voters were also happy.

“I woke up early today to vote before going to work. The process took only a few minutes and I wanted to be one of the first people to celebrate democracy and be a decisionmaker,” said Khaled Abdullah, 45.

“People should vote for the person who deserves it as it would make a difference for the candidate speaking on their behalf.”

Musabah Al Ketbi, head of the Sharjah Consultative Council organising committee in Kalba, said the turnout was good at the Sharjah University polling station, which was divided into sections for men and women.

“The voters undertake three easy steps. First, they register their names and check if they are eligible to vote, then they will be provided with a card that includes photos, numbers and names of the candidates where they need only to tick the box -beside their chosen candidate and place it in a box,” he said.

Regional elections organising committees are taking charge of other committee areas to ensure a transparent and fair election. The organising committee of Kalba was relocated to Maliha, while Maliha’s committee was moved to Kalba. The same procedure was implemented in other areas across the emirate.