Abu Dhabi, June 28th , 2021 – The Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs (MFNCA) has organised a lecture titled ‘Promoting National Participation in Elections’ – the third in a series of sessions under the Electoral Culture Virtual Majlis initiative.

The lecture aims to develop a culture of political participation among members of the community, raise their awareness about the importance of the Federal National Council (FNC) elections, educate them about the role they play as citizens in the electoral process, and showcase the achievements of previous elections.

The session featured Prof. Dr Mohammed Butti Thani Al Shamsi, Associate Professor of Administrative Law at the Dubai Police Academy, who spoke about the importance of participating in FNC elections, explaining the stages that go into organising and implementing the electoral process, from the candidacy stage to the voting process, where members of the electoral college choose their representatives in the Federal National Council.

“This lecture, organised by the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, aims to raise awareness about electoral culture among UAE citizens,” Dr Al Shamsi said. “It emphasises the importance of the FNC’s role in raising citizen’s concerns and needs to decision makers to discuss them, as well as the Council’s contributions towards comprehensive development.”

“Federal National Council elections in the UAE highlight the great successes the country has achieved, most notably, adopting the electronic voting system, introducing the electoral college concept, and the gradual expansion in electoral college membership over the past four elections,” he added. “Citizens also have a tremendous role to play in ensuring the UAE’s success in promoting an electoral culture – a role electoral college members fulfil by voting in the Federal National Council elections.”

Dr Al Shamsi noted that the highlight of the fourth FNC elections was the decision issued by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to raise women’s representation in the Council to 50%. “This reflects the leadership’s faith in women and the important role they play in advancing the development process. Our leadership is committed to engaging all segments of the community in the efforts to shape a better future,” he concluded.

The lecture offered an explanation of the executive regulations for Federal National Council elections, which form the legislative framework that regulates the electoral process in all its stages and procedures. The discussion also covered the amendments and additions that were made to these regulations throughout previous electoral cycles.

The Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs will continue to organise its series of lectures that seek to raise awareness and promote a culture of political participation among members of the UAE community. Dates, venues, and speakers for upcoming events will be announced through the Ministry’s official social media accounts on Instagram (mfnca) and Twitter (@mfnca).