Sharjah: All UAE citizens are invited to take part in the decision-making process by submitting their suggestions and opinions to members of the Federal National Council (FNC), Abdul Aziz Abdullah Al Ghurair, the FNC speaker has said.
In a lecture on FNC development organised by the Al Khaleej publishing house on Saturday, Al Ghurair said the opinions and complaints of citizens can be discussed at the FNC if they follow the right channels to convey them.
Speaking in the presence of Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for FNC Affairs, Al Ghurair explained how the FNC was developed since the first parliamentary elections in the UAE in Dec-ember 2006.
Confident
"In his FNC empowerment speech following the elections, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan explained the new mechanism of the FNC work and highlighted its representative authority," Al Ghurair said.
In the past three years, the FNC has seen many changes, with half its members being elected and Emirati women entering the council for the first time. The powers and responsibilities of the council also changed.
"The first change was extending the council's legislative term from two years to four years, which allows it to develop its experience and vision," Al Ghurair said.
The FNC budget was increased from Dh50 million to Dh132 million, reflecting the increasing responsibility of the council," he added.
To organise the council's work and guide its committees on how to discharge their responsibilities, the help of western houses of expertise was sought and they worked to develop the committees' work through improving communication with Emiratis to allow them to voice any concerns and carefully analysing issues by gathering information through field visits and opinion polls.
"The second step is submitting specific recommendations to the Cabinet, including cost and timeframe, and all recommendations submitted by the FNC were discussed and responded to by the Cabinet," he said.
The council also discusses draft laws with concerned government officials and even seeks the advice of experts.
"When the fertility centres law was discussed by the FNC, we brought in physicians from other countries, and when we discuss education issues, we listen to teachers, students and parents as well," Al Ghurair said.
The FNC also represents the UAE in international conventions. It was elected as a member of the executive committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Al Ghurair said that parliamentary work in the UAE is moving forward, and despite many achievements, there is still a lot to look forward to.
Dr Gargash agreed adding: "The FNC Speaker and I can see the full half of the cup, because we realise that parliamentary work is a gradual process. Although we have come a long way, we know this is not the end of the journey, but we are both optimistic and confident."
