UAE | Government

Candidate criticises cancellation of meeting

A well-known media personality and candidate in the upcoming FNC elections has criticised the cancellation of a meeting scheduled for today aimed at bringing together candidates and voters in Dubai.

  • By Zoi Constantine, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:36 May 3, 2009
  • Gulf News

Dubai: A well-known media personality and candidate in the upcoming FNC elections has criticised the cancellation of a meeting scheduled for today aimed at bringing together candidates and voters in Dubai.

"We were promised an open day at the Higher Colleges of Technology where all candidates and voters would attend together, to speak directly," said Nujoom Al Ganem, candidate for Dubai.

"The meeting was cancelled after lack of interest in a similar event in Sharjah. However, I feel it would have been very much worth it."

Nujoom said so far election activities have been too geared towards the media, to the detriment of the public's involvement. "What is happening is that 90 per cent of all of the press conferences and gatherings are for the media, not for the public … Let us speak frankly and transparently, [the media] is guiding the process right now."

Nujoom, whose platform is based on the issue of identity in the UAE and "linking this to knowledge," conceded that timing is key and some people would be put off attending if the planned event was scheduled during working hours, or in a non-central location.

Lana Nusseibah, director of Media and Communications at the Ministry of State for FNC Affairs, confirmed the cancellation, saying the reason was because of the "low voter turnout" last week in Sharjah.

- With inputs from Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter

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