New members take time to settle

Humaid bin Salem, of Umm Al Quwain says members have learnt from their pitfalls.

The Federal National Council (FNC) in session. Silvia Razgova / The National

Humaid bin Salem says it took a while for members of the council to settle into their roles, and that the content and quality of questions and debate had improved in the time since his appointment as a member, Ola Salem reports

ABU DHABI // Humaid bin Salem believes Federal National Council members are becoming more adept at questioning the Government, three years in to their term.

Of the 40-member council, only four were members previously, leaving the rest to master parliamentary work in their own time.

Members have learnt from their pitfalls during the questioning segment of public sessions and how to better equip themselves to catch out ministers and establish a better debate.

“I noticed a maturity in members’ work, particularly the new ones,” he said. “I noticed growth from the first year to the present in questioning. The questions are now more in-depth and topical.”

He said this was vital and could only be accomplished through more research by the members.

“As soon as members have a scientific base to their questioning or something strong to support it, their questioning would be much stronger,” he said. “Members must research a lot before giving questions and preparing for them. This is what is needed to benefit from the [questions].”

He said this was also the case in other debates in the FNC.

“I learnt that a member needs to be dedicated to his work inside the FNC,” he said.

“When proposing any topic, they need to be equipped in every aspect for that topic. They must be accurate in every issue – whether inside the FNC during the public session or at any of their committee meetings.”

Because of the diversity in expertise among members, Mr bin Salem said it was best to consult members with experience from that particular field.

“In any given topic, we consult all members, but usually we take the opinion of those with expertise in these areas,” he said. “We prefer to get their opinion, for example, in an issue like teaching, we speak to the members” who were in education.

Over the years, friendships were also made.

“I can tell you member by member, their name, where they are from, and if they were appointed or elected,” he said. “There is a strong bond between all members, inside and outside the FNC.”

When Mr bin Salem received the call informing him of his appointment to the FNC by the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, he was filled with pride, but also felt a heavy responsibility.

“It is an honour to be in the fourth constitutional power,” he said. “It would be an honour for any national. It is also a responsibility on a person, and a person would be very keen to fulfil his duties.”

While pleased with his term in the council, Mr bin Salem – who played a more active role in the council’s committees rather than during public sessions – said he had no plans to return to the council, but would be more than happy if asked.

“I came with appointment, when a person becomes a member he plays his role,” he said.

He hoped that future council members would increase their work effort and have a stronger presence on the ground.

“My experience on the FNC was a great one,” he said. “And I am proud of it. I hope that I did my job. I look forward to improving this year.”