UAE names eight women to advisory council

Dubai, Feb 5: United Arab Emirates leaders have named eight women to a 40-seat advisory council, in addition to one female member elected in the Gulf state's first elections in December, the state news agency WAM said today.

The eight women were among 20 members of Federal National Council (FNC), nominated by rulers of the Gulf emirates that make up the UAE federation.

The rest of the body, which has no legislative powers, were elected in the polls in which under one per cent of the native population was allowed to vote.

The appointments put the FNC's female membership at 22.5 per cent, more than twice the average of 9.3 per cent in Arab countries, according to the world Inter-Parliamentary Union, but lower than Iraq's 25.5 per cent and Tunisia's 22.8 per cent.

Women were allowed to both vote and run in the UAE though there was no quota to ensure a minimum number entered the FNC.

WAM said UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan issued a decree with the names of council's members over a month after the election results were announced.

Rulers of the UAE's seven emirates had chosen nearly 6,700 people who could vote in the elections, with officials saying they reflected a cross-section of society.

Election officials have said they envisage universal suffrage for nationals in around four years and an expansion of the FNC's role to include more oversight powers in the country where political parties are banned. The US ally will continue to be run by a council made of up of the rulers of the emirates.

The UAE, an OPEC oil producer that also includes the booming trade hub of Dubai, was the last Gulf state to hold elections to a political body. Though still ruled by dynasties, its neighbours had all had elections of some kind earlier.

REUTERS