Registration pace picks up in emirates

Dubai: Approximately eight per cent of Dubai-based members of the Electoral College had registered their candidacy for the Federal National Council (FNC) elections by the end of yesterday.

Fewer than 50 members of the Electoral College have so far registered their candidacy, including less than 10 women. Official statistics, however, are yet to be released by the elections committee.

The committee expects to receive its final registrations at 9pm tonight, following which the number of candidates will be revealed on November 30.

Up to the afternoon, seven registrations were witnessed in Dubai yesterday, including one woman.

The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry saw no candidates before 10.30am yesterday. The first female candidate of day three of the FNC registration was Maitha Ahmad Al Muhairi, whose programme will include children's and women's issues.

Only four candidates had turned up by late evening yesterday to file their nominations, the same number as the day before, the Ajman head of the sub-committee said. Saeed Al Matroushi said he hoped more women Electoral College members would come forward and file their candidature. Only one woman from Ajman has filed her papers so far. In Sharjah, the numbers are picking up as 10 people turned up in the morning to file their papers, said Sultan Al Muhairi, the head of the sub-committee.

Mariam Al Shehi, the second woman in Ras Al Khaimah to register, will dedicate her campaign to women's rights. About 40 members of the Electoral College have registered.

The numbers of nominees who registered their candidacy in Fujairah reached 30 on the third day of registration, according to estimates.

The registration centre at Umm Al Quwain received its first registration from a woman yesterday, bringing the total number of candidates so far to fewer than 10.

- With inputs from Mahmood Saberi, Nasouh Nazzal, Rania Habib, Alia Al Theeb and Fuad Ali