Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

The Supreme Committee for the Sharjah Consultative Council Elections has announced the start of the second phase of the elections to register candidates, and the opening of nominations in person at the designated registration centres, for a period of three days, starting from Tuesday (Oct.31) toThursday( Nov.2).

Candidate registration offices will be open from 8am to 3pm in the nine electoral districts in the civic bodies of the Emirate, namely Sharjah City Municipality, Al Hamriya District Municipality, Al Dhaid City Municipality, Maliha District Municipality, Al Madam District Municipality, Al Bataeh District Municipality, Dibba Al Hisn City Municipality, Kalba City Municipality, and the Khorfakkan City Municipality.

Conditions for Taking Part in Polls

The Committee stressed that every member of an electoral zone has the right to run for membership in the Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC), provided that the candidate is from within the electoral body to which he/she belongs and is at least 25 years of age, that is, the candidate should have been born on or before 12/05/1998, and that he/she has civil society standing and is known for his/her good conduct.

The potential candidate should enjoy a good reputation and should never have been convicted of a crime unless he or she has been honourably acquitted and rehabilitated in accordance with the law.

Also, the applicant for the SCC nomination may not combine membership in the SCC ith membership in the Federal National Council (FNC), the Sharjah Executive Council, Sharjah municipal councils, suburban and village councils, or any other position in the government.

The registration fee for SCC candidates is Dh3,000, and in the event that there is an agent for a candidate, the agent must bring a legal authorisation approved by a notary public, provided that a special clause is included regarding following up on registration for membership of the SCC in the private agency, and a copy of the candidate’s identity along with a photograph with a clear white background is submitted.

Eight categories of candidates

The Supreme Committee for the SCC Elections has set certain conditions for the eight categories whose employees or members are entitled to take part in the polls, namely: the Government of Sharjah, the judicial authority, the federal government and public jobs in other than the Government of Sharjah, the private sector, those with military status, the retired, self-employed, current members of the SCC, and the people with disabilities.

According to the conditions, Sharjah Government employees can apply for nomination for anyone who stopped performing his/her public job or responsibility from 13/11/2023 to 07/12/2023, and he/she must submit a duly approved leave for that. (If he or she wins, he/she is considered to have resigned from his job. He may return to his position if he does not win.

Those from the judicial authority have to submit a proof of their resignation from the job. As for the employees of the federal government and public jobs other than the Sharjah government, they have to submit approval of their employer. Employees from the private sector will be on leave from 13/11/2023 to 07/12/2023.

The category of people with military service are required to obtain the approval of the employer to take part in the SCC elections and obtain leave from 13/11/2023 to 07/12/2023. Local and federal military personnel affiliated with the Sharjah Police General Command and the General Administration of Civil Defense in the Emirate will have to resign if they win the elections.

Ex servicemen

The Committee called on those from the retired category to submit a certificate proving their retirement. However, if the retiree is from the armed forces and is currently working in allied services, he must submit a no objection certificate and a leave from 13/11/2023 to 07/12/2023.

The Committee excluded those in the self-employment category from any conditions, while current members of the SCC are required to submit a certificate of cessation of membership duties  in the Council. The member is considered to have ceased performing his duties in the Council from the date of announcing the final lists of candidates. Voters with disabilities, who meet the required legal conditions, have the right to run for the council membership.

They must submit a medical report certified by a government hospital and attach their disability card. The Supreme Committee is responsible for examining nomination applications for the elections and approving them in accordance with the requirements of the public interest and the proper implementation of the provisions of the decree organising the elections.