Registration for UAE’s Federal National Council elections to open on Tuesday, NEC reveals

The National Elections Committee (NEC) announced its readiness to receive nomination requests from eligible candidates for the Federal National Council (FNC) elections 2023 from 15th to 18th August.

Anyone whose name is listed in the electoral colleges’ lists is required to submit a nomination request through the link (tarashah.uaenec.ae) available on the committee's website, www.uaenec.ae

Registration can also be done through the NEC – uaenec app, which is available on Apple Store and Google Play.

The NEC will set up nine registration centres across the UAE where potential candidates can put their names forward.

Also, those who were unable to submit their candidacy application through the remote registration platform can submit the application by themselves or through an agent on their behalf under a special power of attorney to the candidate registration centres in the emirate to which they belong.

The committee confirmed that the process of registering candidates will mainly take place via the remote candidate registration platform through the committee’s website or its smart application, as the remote application process will be available 24 hours a day, from 8am on Tuesday, August 15, to 12 noon on Friday 18.

While the nine registration centers located in the different emirates of the country will receive those wishing to run but were unable to submit their candidacy applications remotely.

Candidate registration centres will also receive candidacy applications on 15th, 16th, 17th August from 8:00 to 15:00.

The committee indicated that the candidate must first ensure that he completes his registration procedures in the digital identity system (UAE Pass) before starting the procedures for registering his candidacy, explaining that the account documented through (UAE Pass) can be activated by entering the details on smartphone and downloading the digital identity application that is available through the Android and IOS systems, and then choosing to register in the digital identity, which requires scanning the Emirates ID card and entering the user’s email and mobile phone number, and then choosing a personal identification number and activating the fingerprint technology service, either the handprint or the biometric face-scan technology.

The NEC affirmed the importance of fully complying with the executive instructions to ensure the highest levels of integrity and transparency in the electoral process.

Candidacy conditions: Any person wishing to be a candidate for the Federal National Council (FNC) elections must satisfy the following requirements:

They must be a citizen of the UAE and a permanent resident of the emirate they seek to represent in the FNC.

They must be registered in the electoral list of the emirate they seek to represent in the FNC.

They must be at least 25 years of age by the end of the nomination period.

They must have a full legal capacity.

They must have a good reputation and conduct and must not have been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude or dishonesty unless they have been rehabilitated under the law.

They must be literate in reading and writing.

People of determination: People of determination, members of the electoral colleges who meet the required legal conditions, are entitled to run for membership of the Federal National Council, provided that they submit a medical report approved by the Higher Medical Committee of the Ministry of Health and Prevention, indicating the nature and degree of disability and the extent of its impact on the candidate’s performance to the assigned tasks.

The National Elections Committee called upon the retired members of the electoral bodies (whether civilian or military), who is not currently working, and who wishes to run for membership in the Federal National Council 2023, to submit a certificate stating that he is retired, while acknowledging that he is not currently working in any government agency (federal or local) or in the private sector.

The NEC stressed that applicants must ensure that they complete the registration process with the UAE Pass digital identity before proceeding with their candidacy registration. If their registration is not possible through the website or the smart application, candidates can apply in person or through an authorised representative with a special power of attorney at their emirate’s electoral committee, which will list their names in the electoral list.

WAM