Polls open in UAE

POLLS opened yesterday for the second election in the United Arab Emirates, where a fraction of the population will vote for an advisory council.

Only 129,000 of the Arab Gulf state’s population of around five million are eligible to vote.

And only half of the seats in the 40-member Federal National Council are being contested. The 20 other members of the council are directly appointed and the body only has advisory powers.

The election is being seen as an attempt by the rulers of the seven emirates to gradually introduce some degree of democratic accountability.

Former FNC members have called on the UAE government to grant the assembly more powers and have the entire council elected. The UAE is the world’s third biggest oil producer.