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First UAE elections to be limited
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- In a step toward its first political reforms, the United Arab Emirates announced Thursday it will hold the first elections for its consultative council since the nation was founded in 1971. The elections are for only half of the Federal National Council, the country's president said Thursday. "The next stage of our march requires giving a wider role to the Federal National Council (FNC), allowing it to support and guide the executive authority," said President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, quoted by state news agency, WAM. "In light of the changes and reforms our region is witnessing ... we decided to begin activating the National Council by electing half of its members," he said in a speech marking the UAE's national day. The president did not announce a specific time in for these elections, which come as part of a broader reform movement. "The next period in time requires us to have more reforms and political changes to cope with the world," he said. "We will work toward the FNC being more capable and connected with national issues and the concerns of citizens, so that the values of true participation and path of consultation become more firmly fixed," the president said in his speech. The Federal National Council consists mainly of 40 members distributed among the seven emirates: eight for Abu Dhabi, eight for Dubai, six for Sharjah, six for Ras Al Khaima, four for Ajman, four for Um aL Qiwin, and four for Fujaira. One UAE official said the number of voters might be limited to 2,000, as a first step toward wider participation in the future. "Once the FNC meets, there would be amendments to its jurisdiction and authority," said the official. There is nothing in existing laws preventing women from voting or running in the election. The UAE has one woman cabinet member. Although the country has no political dissent or Islamic violence, it is the only country in the Gulf region that has had no elections. Saudi Arabia had its first municipal elections earlier this year, while Qatar, Bahrain and Oman held elections before that. 
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