DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) held an election Saturday for its advisory Federal National Council. The 40-member council considers federal laws and provides oversight of government ministries for the seven-state federation that includes Abu Dhabi and the commercial hub of Dubai. Up until 2006, the sheikhs picked all the members of the council. Now, they pick half of its 40 members, while the other half are voted in by an electoral college comprised of members selected by the rulers. In 2006, the first election saw a 74-percent turnout among the 6,689 Emiratis eligible to vote. But when the pool widened to 129,274 voters in 2011, it saw only 36,277 cast ballots — a 28-percent turnout. This year, 224,279 voters were able to take part. Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a professor of political science at Emirates University, said he hoped for a high turnout, but believed many of the voters likely didn't even know they were part of the electoral college. While government officials allowed for overseas voting this year and heavily promoted the election, Abdullah said a lack of real issues discussed in the campaign and the limited power of the council could further dampen turnout. Newspapers ran a slew of stories about the election, profiling voters who said they worried about unemployment or wanted expanded health care coverage. “A startling variety of issues have been brought to the fore, which should not be overlooked by the new” council, an editorial in the Gulf News daily newspaper said Saturday. “Today's immediate priority is for all voters who have not yet done so to make their way to the polls. ... By doing so, they will be taking part in an important political process of the country that has delivered unprecedented prosperity and political stability.” The Emirates has weathered low oil prices, the global recession and other economic challenges. There have been few if any public signs of discontent, even after the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The killing of 52 soldiers fighting in the Saudi-led war in Yemen in September prompted an outpouring of patriotism and support for the Emirates' rulers. It marked the deadliest day for the Emirati military since the founding of the federation in 1971 and many began flying the nation's red, green, black and white flag to honor those killed. “The government has a huge reservoir of trust (from) the people,” Abdullah said. “It's a government that has delivered very substantial achievements over the past 40 years and people trust the government and trust the way things are. They don't want anything to tamper with it.” — Agencies
