The Federal National Council plays an important role in the governance of the UAE. It is through FNC members that ordinary Emiratis can make their views known. All the more important then, that as broad a group as possible stands for election to the Council. That would be a way of ensuring that many different points of view are part of the public debate before the actual voting.
However, the timeline at the moment puts at some disadvantage those who have not stood for the FNC before or have little experience of public life. As the announced schedule stands, a list of eligible voters will be released and it is from that list that those who wish to put themselves forward for the FNC must be drawn. Once the first list of candidates has been published, there are potential appeals. The final list will be published at the end of August and elections held a month later.
There are two potential barriers to new faces. The first is the period between publication of the voters’ list and acceptance of nominations. As the list has not yet been published and there is no date given, there is no way of knowing how long potential candidates will have to ponder whether to stand for election. In fact, they might not have very long at all. For potential candidates who are relatively young or undecided, this is a barrier. It might help if the list of eligible voters were published as early as possible, giving potential candidates at least a few weeks to consider putting themselves forward.
The second barrier is the relatively short campaign. Again, this gives the more experienced candidates an advantage. Political life means a period of getting to know the public, going to majilis, visiting influential people in their homes. This takes time. Those who have already been members of the FNC will find it easier to gain an audience and a hearing than those standing for the first time. A longer campaign would allow newer candidates time to get to know the public and make themselves known. They would also be able to think through their policies so that they present a good platform to voters. The FNC is a work in progress. As it develops, it is vital that the timeline is adjusted so that as many Emiratis as possible get the opportunity to serve their country.
