Abu Dhabi: The registration of candidates who intend to run for the Federal National Elections 2015 will start on Sunday, August 16, and will take place for five days until August 20 at registration centres set up by the National Election Committee (NEC) across the UAE.
Commenting on the preparations being made by the National Election Committee to receive the nominations, Tareq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairman of the Election Management Committee, said the registration centres across the country are in a high state of preparedness to ensure a smooth registration process for the candidates.
Lootah said: “The committee and all its teams are fully ready to begin this pivotal stage of the electoral process. We will ensure the efficient registration of the candidates in line with the regulatory conditions specified in the executive instructions for the elections. The committee aims to implement all stages of the electoral process with the highest degree of professionalism.”
As per the procedure set by the NEC, potential candidates can submit the nomination to contest for the elections either in person or through a representative to the Emirates Committee of their respective emirate.
Commenting on the provision, Lootah said the representative need not be a member of the Electoral College or from the same emirate as the candidate but must mandatorily be a UAE citizen. The representative must also be literate and must carry proof in the form of an academic certificate.
According to the executive instructions issued by the NEC, it is incumbent on all those who wish to run for the elections to the Federal National Council to submit their application to the committee in their respective emirate.
In order to complete the registration process, Electoral College members are required to bring their Emirates ID card, family book, and a certificate of good conduct addressed to the NEC, as well as a non-refundable registration fee of Dh1,000 in cash. If the application for registration is made by a representative, the representative is required to carry his or her Emirates ID card.
Individuals holding a public post, whether federal or local, as well as those in the military who are looking to contest in the elections should provide a certificate that shows they have received leave of absence from work from the date of announcement of the final list of candidates (August 31, 2015) until the date of the elections (October 3, 2015).
Members of the judiciary who intend to run for the elections must provide a certificate proving their resignation from their job with a request to run for the elections.
As for the current members of the Federal National Council who wish to contest in the elections, their membership will cease from the date of announcement of the final list of candidates.
