20 Emirati candidates withdraw from FNC election race

Withdrawals reduce number of election hopefuls to 479

Twenty candidates have withdrawn from the FNC election. Reem Mohammed / The National

Twenty Emirati candidates have pulled out of this year's Federal National Council elections, the National Election Committee announced on Tuesday.

The withdrawals reduced the number of election hopefuls to 479. The committee did not reveal the reasons for the withdrawals. It followed the issuance on Monday of 17 warnings against candidates for breaking election campaign rules.

More than 330,000 UAE citizens, about a quarter of the Emirati population, were eligible to run in the October 5 election.

About 550 of them registered as potential candidates for this year's elections. A preliminary list of 499, which was whittled down to 495 by the Committee, was announced on September 3.

On Tuesday, the Committee called on candidates to abide by the electoral programmes submitted in each emirate.

Candidates have another two weeks to campaign before elections begin.

Emiratis overseas can cast their ballots from September 22 to 23. Early voting runs from October 1 to 3 and October 5 is the main election day, when results of the preliminary count will be announced.

The elected council members will be revealed on October 13, unless any objections or appeals lead to supplementary elections.