Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs organized a lecture for Higher Colleges of Technology students in Fujairah as part of the Ministry’s initiative to enhance political participation in the society, particularly among the youth, and explain the nature of parliamentary process in the UAE.

“One of the key strategic objectives of the Ministry is to promote the culture of political participation and increase awareness about the parliamentary system. In order to achieve this objective, a political development department was set up within the Ministry in 2010,” said His Excellency Tariq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs.

“The development of political awareness in the community requires major efforts from all state institutions, with each institution working on its specialization to achieve this goal,” H.E. Lootah said. He also urged the local media to play an active role in this regard.

Dr. Saeed Mohammed Al Ghafli, Assistant Undersecretary for Federal National Council Affairs in the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, pointed out that the Ministry works to strengthen political participation by coordinating the relationship between the Government and the Federal National Council.

Speaking on the definition of political participation, Dr. Al Ghafli referred to the initiative of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to launch a programme to empower the Federal National Council. He also explained the country’s elections process until 2011, and said the last elections highlighted the need to expand the political participation culture among the youth. Stating that the Federal National Council’s regulatory procedures have a key role in monitoring government performance, Dr. Al Ghafli underlined the importance of the Federal National Council and its vision to the efficient functioning of the government in tackling the most pressing issues concerning the citizens.