UAE | Environment

Incomplete registration may threaten bid

Some delegates yet to submit official documents required before they are eligible to vote for location of headquarters.

  • By Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:13 June 28, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Officials from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs work in the registration room. They have said that a minor mistake or missing document in the registration process could disqualify delegates from voting.
  • Image Credit: Abbas Al Lawati/Gulf News

Sharm Al Shaikh: Incomplete registration by some delegates a day before a vote on the International Renewable Energy Agency's future headquarters could put intense lobbying efforts by the Emirati and German delegations to waste.

By midday on Sunday, a few delegates were yet to submit their official documents required in the strict voting procedures put in place by the Egyptian foreign ministry, said Heba Negm, third secretary at the ministry, who is in charge of the voting procedure.

Voting takes place later on Monday in a secret ballot where only delegates and Irena officials will be present. Negm said that even she did not know the procedure.

"The procedure is highly confidential. I and the delegates will be told about it tomorrow, and it could even change last minute," she told Gulf News on Sunday.

Heba attributed the strict procedures to an effort by her ministry to ensure that election results are not contested with claims of politicisation.

"We are refusing any delegates [who] do not have correct documents," she said, adding that her side was doing all it could to make the process easier.

She said that a few delegates had not brought their original, stamped credential letters from their embassies or foreign ministries. Bringing photocopies has only allowed them to get registration badges but does not authorise them to vote. Delegates have until today morning to courier their credentials.

She added that both her ministry as well as the Egyptian Ministry of Energy had contacted every embassy earlier to emphasise the importance of original credentials.

It is unclear how this will affect the UAE's bid for the Irena seat in Abu Dhabi. Officials from the UAE delegation were unavailable or unwilling to comment on record but an official close to the delegation said that UAE officials were aware and were approaching delegates personally to explain procedures.

Heba did not say how many delegates were missing documents but indicated that they were few.

While Egypt has declared its intention to vote for the UAE as per an Arab League decision, Heba maintained that technical procedures were independent.

She said that online registration for delegates had proved counter-productive in some cases.

"Some delegates sent pictures with viruses on them, and I couldn't issue them a badge without a picture," she said.

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