ABU DHABI: The National Elections Committee (NEC) has said that young individuals — aged between 21 and 33 — represent around 33 per cent of the registered electorate, adding that 100,000 young people out of a total of 337,738 citizens, are participating in the current round of the Federal National Council (FNC) election.
The NEC also stressed that its electoral programme was developed gradually by increasing the participation of Emirati citizens. The committee’s remarks came during a workshop held at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
During the workshop, which aims to educate its participants about the electoral process, Dr Saeed Mohammad Al Gafli, assistant under-secretary for Federal National Council Affairs at the MFNCA, explained the application procedures, electoral campaign rules and executive instructions of the 2019 elections.
“Candidates wishing to register for the FNC election in 2019 must present their applications between August 18 and 22, either personally or through their agent, along with a documented agency certificate stamped by a notary. This only applies to their registration, other procedures should be done personally by the candidate. The preliminary list of candidates will be announced on August 25,” Al Gafli noted.
Al Gafli responded to a question from the Emirates News Agency, WAM, noting that electoral campaigns will begin on September 8 according to specific rules that candidates must respect, and spending on campaigns must not exceed Dh2 million per candidate. Campaigns should also end on October 4, he added.
The committee will not consider appeals and complaints that are not supported by evidence, and those appealing must pay a non-refundable fee of Dh3,000, he concluded.
