It is encouraging that the National Election Committee has announced a 66 per cent expansion in the number of voters eligible to take part in the third-ever elections for the elected places in the Federal National Council (FNC). The increase is part of a long-term strategy of steadily growing the number of citizens who can participate in the process of political development in the country, under the empowerment programme launched by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to promote political participation as the FNC plays a larger role in the executive authority of the country. The members in half the 40 seats in the FNC are elected and the other half are nominated by the rulers of the seven emirates.
It is significant that the 224,000 strong Electoral College has been formed to include a majority of people under 40, who make up 67 per cent of the voters, and the sexes share an almost equal number with men contributing 52 per cent and women 48 per cent. This is designed so that the FNC is more representative of the population at large, and remains close to the concerns of the citizens.
