Voters must have an Emirates Identity card to take part in the upcoming Federal National Council (FNC) elections scheduled to be held on September 24, officials said on Tuesday.
The electoral base for this year's elections has been expanded to ensure larger public participation, but the electoral rolls for the seven emirates will be announced on July 11, said Tariq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs and a member of the National Election Committee (NEC).
Indications are that more than 80,000 people named by Rulers' courts in the seven emirates will elect 20 representatives to the council.
"Preparations for the elections are proceeding to plan and in keeping with vision of the UAE leadership," Lootah told a news conference.
Since the FNC's inception in 1972, its members were appointed by the Rulers' courts in different emirates.
Elections were introduced in the FNC's 13th legislative session of the 2006 to implement the directives of the Supreme Council of the Federation and the President's decision to elect 50 per cent of FNC members directly from 6,595 people who formed the electoral colleges in the emirates. The rest of the members are to be appointed by the Rulers.
"The Election Management Committee has an integrated action plan which takes into account the larger representation expected in the Electoral College. Polling centres will be opened in various locations based on the number of Electoral College members and accessibility, and there will be more than one polling station in some emirates, to make it convenient for voters," Lootah said.
