Special Features
Election Campaigns For 2011 FNC Election Start Nation-Wide
A total of 468 candidates including 85 women started their election campaigning across the Emirates to win half of the total 40 seats in the second Federal National Council (FNC) elections slated for September 24. The other 20 members will be appointed by Rulers of Emirates. The final tally of candidates in each emirate is: Abu Dhabi 117 candidates; Dubai 124; Sharjah 93; Ras Al Khaimah 60; Ajman 34; Umm Al Quwain 19 and Fujairah 21.Among those candidates 85 women will contest for the FNC elections : 22 from Abu Dhabi, 26 from Dubai, 16 from Sharjah, nine from Ras Al Khaimah, five from Ajman, four from Umm Al Quwain and three from Fujairah.
The FNC election will be held on September 24 for a day from 8am till 7pm.
Candidates are now allowed to begin their election campaign from the emirate they belong to from September 4, and can continue till September 21.
Candidates are free to use any type of local media, including TV, newspapers, radios, lectures, conferences and social media, for their campaigns, according to the National Election Committee (NEC) .
However, all candidates are required to strictly follow the rules and are restricted from negative propaganda and excessive use of money.
Each candidate is required to formulate a programme of his/her campaign and get the approval for the same from the NEC before embarking on the campaign on September 4.
The National Election Commission (NEC) has also issued ?Voter and Candidate Guideline’ and ?Empowerment Program of the Federal National Council (FNC)’ as part of its efforts to raise awareness on matters related to elections and the program of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to encourage political participation.
The guidelines will enable the voters to exercise their electoral right in a way that will ensure them to maintain their voices and show all voters and candidates their rights and their duties so that each of them, particularly those who enter the election arena for the first time, can be aware of all aspects of the electoral process.
A candidate is free to express him/her self and carry out any activity aimed to convince voters to elect him/her.
Every candidate is obliged to maintain the values and principles of the society, adhere to rules and regulations, respect public order and ensure that his/her campaign does not include ideas that provoke religious, sectarian, tribal or racial divisions.
The candidates are banned from engaging in any behavior, conduct or activity that harms or tarnishes the reputation of another candidate, whether directly or indirectly. The publicity material of a candidate should also not contain words or statements that slander or harm another candidate.
Presenting election programmes in the local audio, visual and print media and holding seminars and press conferences within the guidelines stated in the executive instructions and NEC regulations are also allowed.
According to the lists released by the National Election Committee (NEC), the Electoral College comprises 129,274 members.The Electoral College comprises 47,444 members from Abu Dhabi, 37,514 from Dubai, 16,850 from Ras Al Khaimah, 13,937 from Sharjah, 6,324 from Fujairah, 3,920 from Ajman, and 3,285 from Umm Al Quwain.
The Federal National Council has 40 members, out of which eight each represent Abu Dhabi and Dubai, six each from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, and four each from Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah. The Electoral College of each emirate will elect half the members of the FNC from the respective emirate, while the Ruler of the Emirate will nominate the remaining half.
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