Sharjah: The UAE is progressing steadily because of the unity and synergy among the Emirates’ rulers, said His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
In an interview with Sharjah TV, Dr Shaikh Sultan criticised those who would like to make a lot of noise about the UAE “just for the sake of talking”, without realising what has been achieved in this country since the federation.
“We have advanced to 50 per cent in the democratic process with regard to the elections [of the Federal National Council] and God willing we shall achieve the 100 per cent mark. The policy of the UAE Rulers and policies is not affected by the external problems. The members of the Supreme Council work according to a planned framework which evolves with the years,” he explained.
The UAE is united and its Rulers work in synergy, he said, adding that “we work quietly and don’t engage in arguments; not everyone in the UAE can just make statements; the Foreign Minister speaks about our foreign policy as directed not only by the Cabinet but also by the President,” Shaikh Sultan said.
“There are red lines which should not be crossed: security, the armed forces and the foreign policy. Other than that one can speak all they want; I [for example] speak about education and health among many things, but there are national pillars that should not be touched. And I, as a member of the Supreme Council, have a voice which I express in the Council not outside it, [outside the Council], only the President and the Vice-President can make statements,” he added. “Therefore, you can notice that the policies of the UAE are consistent; there is a complete synergy between the country’s leaders.”
Autobiographical book
Dr Shaikh Sultan was interviewed at the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies, where he presented the introduction and epilogue of the third part of his autobiographical book, Talk from the Memory, which will be published soon. The first part of the series was published in 2010.
The third part will include a detailed analysis of the Sharjah government institutions. “Many [people] often ask about centralisation or decentralisation. All these things will be detailed in an easy language,” that all readers will find it useful, Shaikh Sultan noted.
“The autobiography is comprises three parts. The first book begins with my entry into the Supreme Council and meeting the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the third book ends with the death of Shaikh Zayed on November 2, 2004. In this final book there will be a lot of content on the UAE, such as events, resolutions, and the passing away of the two founding leaders.
The third book begins with the death of Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and ends with the death of Shaikh Zayed. In that time period, the book profiles various topics on the UAE, simple matters related to GCC countries, many things concerning the emirate of Sharjah, and other matters that involve me on a personal level.
Dr Shaikh Sultan said a chapter in the book will discuss the UAE constitution, and how it was transformed from a temporary constitution to a permanent one.
The book will also look at bodies legitimised by the constitution, such as the Supreme Council, President and Vice-President’s powers and authority, as well as the authorities of the Cabinet, the Federal National Council, and Judicial bodies. He said that this chapter will serve as a reference for researchers interested in matters related to the UAE.
