2011 Emirati parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in the United Arab Emirates on 24 September 2011 to elect the half of the members of Federal National Council.[1] The elections were held using electoral colleges, which were expanded from around 6,000 members in the 2006 elections to 129,274.[2] However, only 35,877 voters voted, with a voter turnout of 28%.[2]
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the United Arab Emirates |
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Electoral college
The 2011 parliamentary elections had an expanded electoral college constituting 129,274 members, made up of 46% females and 54% males, of which 35% were younger than 30 years.[3]
Candidates
Nominations of candidates took place between 14 and 17 August.[4] On 20 August 2011 the National Elections Commission announced the preliminary list of candidates, stating that 469 members of the electoral college nominated themselves to be candidates to run for the parliamentary elections. Of those 469 nominees, 85 were women.[5]
| Emirate | Candidates | Female candidates |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | 117 | 22 |
| Dubai | 124 | 26 |
| Sharjah | 94 | 16 |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 60 | 9 |
| Ajman | 34 | 5 |
| Umm Al Quwain | 19 | 4 |
| Fujairah | 21 | 3 |
| Total | 469 | 85 |
After last-minute applications were taken into account, the final list included 477 candidates.[6]
Campaign
The campaign period lasted from 4 to 21 September 2011.[4] Some observers called for a delay in the voting process to allow for more time for candidates to campaign.[7]
Candidates were prohibited from using religion in their campaign,[6] and were limited to spend 2 million dirhams.[8]
Results
| Emirate | Elected member | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | Salem al-Ameri | 2,815 |
| Mohammad al-Ameri | 2,380 | |
| Mohammad al-Qubaisi | 1,199 | |
| Ahmad al-Ameri | 1,153 | |
| Dubai | Hamad al-Rahoumi | 1327 |
| Marwan Bin Ghulaita | 1,195 | |
| Ahmad Ahli | 1,164 | |
| Rashad Bukhash | 1,077 | |
| Sharjah | Salem Bin Howayden | 805 |
| Ahmad al-Jarwan | 766 | |
| Musabbah al-Ketbi | 652 | |
| Ras al-Khaimah | Ahmed Abdullah Al Amash | 1,449 |
| Saeed al-Khateri | 957 | |
| Faisal al-Tunaiji | 717 | |
| Ajman | Sultan al-Shamsi | 296 |
| Abdullah al-Shamsi | 287 | |
| Fujairah | Ghareeb al-Suraidi | 436 |
| Sultan al-Yamahi | 396 | |
| Umm Al Quwain | Sheikha al-Ari | 536 |
| Obeid al-Alili | 332 | |
| Source: NEC | ||
Turnout by emirate
| Emirate | Registered | Voted | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | 47,444 | 10,109 | 21.31 |
| Dubai | 37,514 | 9,268 | 24.71 |
| Sharjah | 13,937 | 5,890 | 42.26 |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 16,850 | 5,085 | 30.18 |
| Umm Al Quwain | 3,285 | 1,796 | 54.67 |
| Ajman | 3,920 | 1,562 | 39.85 |
| Fujairah | 6,324 | 2,167 | 34.27 |
| Total | 129,274 | 35,877 | 27.75 |
| Source: NEC, NEC | |||
Nominated members
The appointed members announced were:[9]
- Abu Dhabi:
- Noura al-Kaabi
- Sultan al-Daheri
- Khalifa al-Suwaidi
- Amal Al Qubaisi
- Dubai:
- Afra al-Basti
- Mona al-Bahar
- Mohammad Al-Murr
- Ahmad al-Mansouri
- Sharjah:
- Shaikha al-Owais
- Ahmad al-Za'abi
- Ya'aqoub al-Naqbi
- Ras Al Khaimah:
- Abdul al-Za'abi
- Rashid al-Shuraiqi
- Abdul al-Shaheen
- Ajman:
- Ahmad al-Shamsi
- Ali al-Nuaimi
- Fujairah:
- Mohammad al-Raqabani
- Aisha al-Yamahi
- Umm Al Quwain:
- Ali Ahmad
- Humaid Ali
Aftermath
Mohammed Al-Murr was elected unopposed as Speaker of the Federal National Council.
References
- UAE to hold second ever election in September Reuters, 16 March 2011
- Elections in 2011 IPUM
- Statistics and figures National Elections Commission
- Election timetable National Elections Commission
- 469 مرشح ومرشحة على القائمة الأولية لانتخابات المجلس الوطني الاتحادي National Elections Commission
- Candidates for FNC cleared for final list The National, 25 August 2011
- FNC elections: Make it late to make it right Gulf News, 14 July 2011
- UAE nationals ask: Why can’t we all vote? The Huffington Post, 21 September 2011
- Shaikh Khalifa to open new FNC term Gulf News, 15 November 2011