ABU DHABI // A house of representatives half elected and half appointed is an ideal system that should not be changed, says FNC member Salem bin Huwaidan.
Sweeping amendments made to the constitution in 2005 meant that 20 of the 40 members in the council are elected. Before that, all were appointed.
Mr bin Huwaidan, who would not have had the chance to run in 2011 without the amendments, also values the decision to keep appointed members.
“We need specialists,” he says. “We need doctors and the other experts who would never really run in the election. They support the elected members. I want this balance to continue.”
The split has paved the way for more concerns to be brought to the council, with many specialist members giving their own perspective on matters in their fields.
As for elected members, Mr bin Huwaidan says they are key to bringing forward the voice of the people, as a result of their popularity and prominence in their communities.
Joining the FNC was something he had carefully planned.
“Before the FNC I wanted to be in a position to help others – see what people wanted and pass that on,” Mr bin Huwaidan says.
These concerns included housing, education and health.
“Thanks to the President, Sheikh Khalifa, a lot of these things are being resolved very quickly,” he says.
More rights for women was also a topic Mr bin Huwaidan wanted to bring forward.
“We wanted early retirement for women,” he said. “We tried as much as we could and with all the means we have to give women the opportunity to raise their children ... but the Government has another view on this.”
In other instances, presidential and government rulings take away the need for public debate.
“We were gearing up to talk about increasing teacher salaries. Before we could, they were increased,” he says.
In some cases, Mr bin Huwaidan says matters needed to be passed to rulers or ministers directly, outside of the FNC.
“The council has its powers, but we cannot tie it to people’s needs,” he says. “The council’s work is governed by laws.
“Members can take personal requests to ministers or sheikhs directly. That would be easier.”
He plans to return to the council if he can.
“If my name is on the list, I would want to run still,” Mr bin Huwaidan says. “As a member of the FNC I was able to achieve a lot. Through the council, a lot of things can be raised to the Government.”
His only hope is an easier election process with candidates given more access to voters.
“Elections were hard because it was the first time so many people could vote,” Mr bin Huwaidan says.
“Communicating with the voters was hard. The only way was through media.
“But voters were unclear with what was going on.
“We want more ways to communicate with voters, possibly by giving candidates voters’ numbers.
“The whole experience was difficult but it was worth it.”
For now, Mr bin Huwaidan plans a strong comeback to the fourth and final year of this council’s session.
His first demand is comprehensive medical insurance for all nationals.
The issue of medical insurance has continuously been debated, and the Government has promised a rollout soon.
But it has not yet come to pass.
osalem@thenational.ae
