A patriotic duty for the UAE

Today is one of the most significant days in the history of the United Arab Emirates. For today, the appointed Electoral College has the opportunity to vote for half the seats of the Federal National Council (FNC). It is the first and cautious step on a long road to democracy that the country now feels able to introduce into society.

It is therefore the patriotic duty of every member of the Electoral College to vote. They have been tasked with the job, they must acknowledge that and complete the task.

For to do otherwise would imply a rejection of the need for democracy, a need that has been recognised by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his December 2005 speech.

There are subsequent steps to be taken, each put forward tentatively to ensure the will of the citizens is met and that, in due course, there will be a fully democratic and elected FNC.