Women answer call to FNC duty

ABU DHABI // The call for more women to take part in the Federal National Council elections has been met with great response – they make up almost a quarter of the final list.

The National Election Commission announced 341 candidates, including five past members, are eligible to run for the council. Of these, 78 are women.

Three appeals against those standing were lodged with the NEC and two were upheld, removing an Abu Dhabi candidate and one from Ras Al Khaimah from the race.

Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for FNC Affairs and chairman of the National Election Committee, said: “In the 2006 and 2011 elections there were no appeals to the candidates, so this is considered a precedent.

“Overseeing the appeals process was done in accordance to legal procedures by the NEC, which referred them to an independent committee led by a judge, and the NEC approved the decisions.”

The list consists of 96 candidates from Abu Dhabi, 62 from Dubai, 61 from Sharjah, 41 from RAK, 23 from Ajman, 20 from Umm Al Quwain and 38 from Fujairah.

Of the candidates, 166 are university graduates, while 48 have only high school diplomas.

The list also shows 170 candidates work in the private sector. Nine more are from the police and 37 come from military backgrounds.

There are 51 working for the federal government and 69 employed in local government entities.

Sixty per cent of candidates are aged between 40 and 60, while 38 per cent candidates are below the age of 40.

Every candidate was given an identification number to ease in the communication with voters and during campaigns.

The General Secretariat of the FNC also issued guidelines for campaigns to ensure they are run fairly and efficiently.

They show ways of making plans and setting up electoral advertising, and how to use social media in their campaign.

The FNC will hold several workshops for the candidates, the first of which takes place on Wednesday.

Candidates will begin their campaigns on September 6, and can withdraw their applications before September 18.

Elections will be held in various centres across the country on October 3.

Meanwhile, the Emirates Human Rights Association has asked the NEC to enlist it as an observer for the elections, the state news agency Wam reported.

“The FNC plays a great role in fulfilling the citizens’ needs in all walks of life, and therefore it is important that a civil society organisation like EHRA should contribute in observing the elections,” said Mohammed Al Kaabi, the association’s director.

Mr Al Kaabi said the EHRA’s was keen to ensure the elections were conducted properly, efficiently and fairly, in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Dr Gargash praised the role of the national NGOs in the country’s development and said the request by the EHRA and other organisations to observe the elections would be reviewed at the NEC’s.