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Second stage starts in UAE polls | |
(2 days later) | |
Voting has begun in the second stage of landmark national elections in the United Arab Emirates, in which under 1% of citizens are allowed to vote. | |
Voters hand-picked by the government are choosing half of the Federal National Council, an advisory body. | Voters hand-picked by the government are choosing half of the Federal National Council, an advisory body. |
On Monday, the polls are being held in Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah. The remaining three emirates vote on Wednesday. | |
On Saturday, six council members, including a woman, were elected in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. | |
"This is an honour I will carry... all my life. It is proof that the Emirati people are [politically] aware," Amal Abdullah al-Kubaissi, who won one of the four seats in Abu Dhabi, told the AFP news agency. | |
The candidates standing for election were also hand-picked by the Emirati government. | The candidates standing for election were also hand-picked by the Emirati government. |
However, ministers have said the vote is the start of a wider process that will see participation extended. | However, ministers have said the vote is the start of a wider process that will see participation extended. |
The BBC's Julia Wheeler, in Dubai, says it is also expected that the powers of the assembly will change, with the first council debating a new constitution. | The BBC's Julia Wheeler, in Dubai, says it is also expected that the powers of the assembly will change, with the first council debating a new constitution. |
VOTING DATES AND LOCATIONS Saturday 16th - Abu Dhabi, FujairahMonday 18th - Dubai, Ras al-KhaimahWednesday 20th - Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quaint | |
On Monday, voters are electing four council members in Dubai and three in Ras al-Khaimah. | |
The voters across the UAE, who number fewer than 7,000 men and women, have been selected by the rulers of the seven emirates which make up the country. | |
The UAE is the last of the Gulf Arab monarchies to introduce elections. |