Abu Dhabi
The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce has announced a second round of votes for the elections for the board of directors. In a statement released, the chamber confirmed that the first round, held on Thursday, did not fulfill since the quorum for the elections.
According to the Article 9 of the chamber’s law number 27 for 2005, the general assembly will be invited for the second round, which will be deemed valid regardless of the number of votes. The second round will be held on June 26.
Hamad Al Awadhi, former board member and current candidate said that a quorum of 25 per cent of voters needs to vote in order for votes to be deemed valid.
“Twenty-five per cent is the equivalent of around 20,000 people, and I don’t expect that many people to turn up today, so this would lead to a second round taking place on June 26,” he said.
The elections will see 13 Emirati board members being elected the national members of the chamber, and two expatriate members being elected by the foreign members of the chamber. Additionally, the government will select six members to serve on the board.
Despite the significance of the elections, and the fact they were better organised compared to previous years, attendance remains “much lower”, according to Al Awadhi.
“This is the third time to have elections for the board. Before that, the government used to pick the members, and that’s why we are expecting a lot out of this board; it’s because people now are aware of the culture of democracy, and the importance of voting to elect members they believe can represent them well,” the candidate said.
Al Awadhi noted that such a culture of democracy urges people to follow up with their demands more closely, and keep a close eye on the activities of the board members.
As for the board’s goals, Al Awadhi said: “The board aims to develop and support the Abu Dhabi economy, which is now governed by the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 that involves focus on certain sectors of the economy.”
Having served on the board from 2006 till 2010, Al Awadhi spoke about the board’s role saying, “The board has two roles; the first one is internal, which involves putting strategies and running the chamber on a macro level. The other involves representation for the private sector, and voicing any problems that private-sector companies have to the government.”
He added that being a board member at the chamber is also a very prestigious post in the business arena.
Members on the board of directors are also business people from various sectors of the private sector, and represent their respective industries on the board.
