'This council will be different from the previous chapters'
'This council will be different from the previous chapters'
Abu Dhabi: The inauguration of the Federal National Council, the unicameral parliament of the country, will mark its 35th anniversary today.
The 14th Legislative Chapter of the Federal National Council (FNC) will be inaugurated by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
It will be attended by all the Rulers, Deputy Rulers, Crown Princes, Cabinet members, shaikhs, senior government officials, elites and diplomats. The council was formed under the Provisional Constitution of the UAE in 1971 as an important and permanent component of the state machinery, which includes the Supreme Council, the President, the Cabinet and the Judiciary.
Elected
It comprises 40 members, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai having eight each, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah six each and Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah four each. This will be the first council with half of its members elected and women representing 21 per cent of the house.
The new FNC members will be sworn in before the President. Following the oath-taking ceremony, the council will continue with the election of the Speaker and two Deputy Speakers through a secret ballot. The new FNC is also likely to have a woman Deputy Speaker, as member Dr Amal Al Qubaisi is expected to contest for the post of Second Deputy Speaker against four male members also running for the post
The Council will then elect the eight permanent committees with seven members each.
Ahmad Shabeeb Al Daheri, from Abu Dhabi, who has served in the last three councils as a member and is now elected to serve in the fourth council, said the 14th Legislative Chapter would be a different and historic one.
"This council will be different from the previous chapters. This council has the full support of Shaikh Khalifa and the Government to bring about changes in public participation in the decision-making process. It has 50 per cent of members elected and it has a strong presence of women members.
"Another good thing about this council is that it has the guidance of a government that is headed by a dynamic person like His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai," he said.
Al Daheri, a former First Deputy Speaker, said both the Government and the leadership want this council to pave the way for greater public participation in policy-making.
"The Government and the leadership want to see constitutional changes in the interests of the people of the country. They want to see the FNC expanded with more members and more legislative power for the council."
He also said this time, the council will have more responsibilities and be accountable to the public as the people have higher expectations.
