Second woman ever elected to UAE's advisory council

Author: Nehal El-Sherif


   Dubai (dpa) - One woman was elected on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates polls for the advisory Federal National Council (FNC), which has limited legislative powers.

   Sheikha Eisa Ganem won 892 votes to become the second woman elected ever. One woman was elected in the historic 2006 elections.

   The National Election Committee announced the results from six emirates. Results from the seventh, which is the capital Abu Dhabi, will be delayed until after midnight due to technical failures in one of the polling stations.

   E-voting systems have been installed in all polling stations, which are electronically tallying up the votes.

   Around 460 candidates - including 85 women - were vying for 20 seats in the FNC, in the second elections in UAE history. The other half of the 40-member council will be appointed by the president and members of the Supreme Council.

  Ahmed al-Jarwan, one of the winners in al-Sharjah emirate, told the German Press Agency dpa that he plans to open an office to teach young Emiratis the principles of political participation so they would be qualified to compete in the next elections in four years.

   Almost 130,000 people - or approximately 12 per cent of UAE nationals - were qualified to cast their ballots across the country's seven emirates.

   "We want more participation from youth and we want to expand the authority and the role of the FNC in the future," Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, told reporters.

   Although the UAE has a president and constitution, each of the seven emirates - Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain - is ruled by emirs who each have absolute power within their territories.

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