The UAE has passed its first electoral test with distinction, while acknowledging that the Federal National Council (FNC) elections, which concluded last week, are just a first and a modest step towards democracy.
Certainly, the UAE is better off now and more confident and coherent than it was before the elections. Its image has also become better in the outside world.
The UAE has learnt lessons from this test, the first of which is that democracy and freedom are necessary for the people. Also, political participation is important while transparency is a key element in building a modern country.
However, there is no need to fear the democratic openness at all. It is vital to allow all the UAE people to elect an FNC with full legislative and supervisory powers. The gradual and realistic political reforms will protect the economic success and social achievements made by the UAE over the past 35 years.
The final outcome of the elections is positive in form and content. Yet, the elections brought about some happy and some unpleasant surprises.
According to official figures, voter turnout showed a big variation between emirates. The turnout reached its highest levels in Umm Al Quwain and Ajman, and the lowest in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Umm Al Quwain saw a turnout of 88.8 per cent, while Ajman saw a turnout of 85 per cent and Sharjah 82.2 per cent. Dubai saw a 71 per cent turnout, while Abu Dhabi saw a 60.2 per cent turnout. The national average was 78 per cent. The turnout was very high in small emirates, where voters poured into the polling stations to cast their votes, while their counterparts in the big emirates did not show the same enthusiasm.
The turnout was acceptable but not very good, especially because the elections were limited to a small, chosen group of Emiratis who were granted the right to vote and elect half of the FNC members.
However, 22 per cent of the Electoral College members did not bother to exercise their right in the country's first elections.
This raises many questions. Local governments gave a selected group of Emiratis a rare and historic chance to exercise their right to vote. By placing its trust in them and entrusting them to carry out such a national duty, the political leadership was expecting this group to rise to the challenge. The turnout was expected to reach 100 per cent or 90 per cent - at least not less than 80 per cent.
So, why did about 2,000 members of the Electoral College not cast their votes? Was it a sign of a collective boycott in a society that has never known such a phenomenon or was it carelessness towards the electoral process?
Can the low turnout be attributed to the people not being convinced by the democratic experiment, even though they are supposed to be ready to exercise their political rights, and are known for their patriotism, dedication and loyalty to their leadership?
Questions
Who is to be held responsible for this low turnout, the local governments or the chosen elite?
These questions should be raised and examined by the National Elections Committee and authorities concerned with the development of the parliamentary experiment.
Women's participation and victory of just one female candidate in the FNC polls can be seen as a happy and, at the same time, unhappy surprise.
Although the turnout in Abu Dhabi was modest, the capital gave the UAE people a precious gift by electing the first woman member to the FNC.
This women's victory was not repeated in other emirates. This raises questions about the reasons behind a woman's triumph in an emirate and their failure in other emirates.
Can this be attributed to women's good management of their election campaigns in Abu Dhabi and the poor management of their counterparts in other emirates?
This, however, requires prominent female figures, women's associations and organisations to review the election outcomes and learn lessons so as to improve women's political position in the UAE.
Nevertheless, women candidates were not alone in failing to reach the FNC. There were many prominent businessmen and personalities who had wealth and contacts, spent generously on their election campaigns, and yet failed in the elections.
Meanwhile, winners included employees who did not spend much on their election campaigns, which clearly means that it was not all about wealth and contacts. Personal characteristics, public relations, humility and good communications skills proved more important than wealth and tribal background.
Through the FNC elections, the UAE experienced the best two weeks in its modern political history. It is in 2006 better off than it was in 2005, and is stepping into 2007 with a more optimistic outlook. The UAE has taken a major step from political idleness to political activity with the election of half the FNC members.
Even though the democratic march started slowly with the participation of only 1 per cent of the UAE people, it has started moving in the right direction, and towards more democratic openness.
The march is led by a visionary leadership, which has great confidence in its people and their absolute loyalty. The people, in turn, are well prepared for a democratic parliamentary future that boosts the UAE's success and ushers in more prosperity and progress.
Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdullah is professor of Political Science at UAE University, Al Ain.
