103 women register for FNC elections in 2 days

Registration centres for the Federal National Council, FNC, 2019 election candidates set up across the UAE continued to receive applications for the second consecutive day.

By the end of the day, the National Elections Commission received 94 applications, including 36 from women, from 8:00 to 15:00.

On the first day, amid a high turnout of candidates, the National Elections Commission received 194 applications, 67 of which were from women.

The number of candidates who applied during the first two days reached 288 in all emirates and included 103 females.

The registrations will continue until Thursday, 22nd August, 2019, according to the National Committee for the FNC 2019 elections.

The number of applications for the first and second days in the emirate of Abu Dhabi reached 86, covering Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra, including 33 from women. The number reached 33 in Dubai, including 16 from women, while Sharjah saw 74 applications, including 23 from women. Ajman saw 10 applications, including one from a woman. Umm Al Qaiwain received 17, including eight from women. Ras Al Khaimah had 33 applications, including 11 from women, and Fujairah saw 35 applications, of which 11 were from women.

The registrations began on 18th August, 2019, and will continue until next Thursday.

According to the timetable of the FNC 2019 elections, the NEC will announce the preliminary list of candidates on 25th August, 2019. The final list will be announced on 3rd September, 2019, while the campaigning will start from 8th September, 2019, and will last for 27 days.

EMPOWERING PEOPLE

Recently, a senior official said The UAE aims to empower its people through election to the Federal National Council (FNC).

“The elections enable the people to help create their future, as well as their children’s future,” said Noura Bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development who is also a member of the National Elections Committee (NEC), and Chairperson of the NEC Media Committee.

She was talking at a media briefing organised by the NEC to announce the latest updates related to the FNC election 2019.

Tariq Hilal Lootah, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of State for FNC Affairs, NEC Member and Chairperson of the Election Management Committee; and Dr. Saeed Mohammed Al Ghafli, Assistant Under-Secretary for FNC Affairs at the Ministry of State for FNC Affairs, NEC Member and Rapporteur, along with several media representatives attended the briefing held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Abu Dhabi.

“The UAE’s parliamentary experience is progressive and will help it achieve political development over several phases,” the minister said.

The NEC is organising the election according to the highest standards of accuracy, transparency and objectivity, in line with the UAE’s overall development and the aspirations of the country’s leadership, Al Kaabi said.

“Empowering the UAE’s citizens and increasing their contribution to the decision-making process was inspired by the Political Empowerment Programme of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which was announced on the occasion of the 34th National Day in 2005, with the aim of empowering the FNC to become the country’s guiding executive authority, as well as enabling it to get closer to the country’s citizens,” she added.

Al Kaabi explained that the election embodies the advancement of the country’s electoral process while affirming that the participation of the relevant electoral authorities will empower the FNC and strengthen its national parliamentary role, to meet the needs of the Emirati community.

She also praised the efforts of the media to monitor and publish news related to the elections, which will promote awareness about the electoral process among the entire community.

The briefing highlighted the decision of Sheikh Khalifa to raise the percentage of female FNC members to 50 per cent. NEC has prepared 39 polling stations around the country for the FNC, election, which will be held in October 2019.

WAM