2019 Emirati parliamentary election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox legislative election
| country = United Arab Emirates
| previous_election = 2015
| next_election = 2023
| election_date = 5 October 2019
| seats_for_election = 20 of the 40 seats in the Federal National Council
| noleader = yes
| nopercentage = yes
| party1 = Independents
| seats1 = 20
| last_election1 = 20
| title = Speaker
| before_election = Amal Al Qubaisi
| after_election = Saqr Ghobash
| turnout=34.81% ({{decrease}} 0.48pp)
}}{{Politics of the United Arab Emirates}}
Parliamentary elections were held in the United Arab Emirates on 5 October 2019 to elect 20 of the 40 members of the Federal National Council. As there were no political parties at the time of the elections, all candidates ran as independents.
The elections took place through an electoral college, the membership of which was expanded from 224,279 in 2015 to 337,738 in 2019.[https://gulfnews.com/uae/fnc-candidate-registration-centres-launched-1.65682332 FNC candidate registration centres launched] Gulf News, 7 August 2019
Electoral system
The Federal National Council consists of 40 members, 20 of whom are appointed by the rulers of each emirate.{{cite news| url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/a-vote-for-the-country-s-future-1.876321| title=A vote for the country's future| publisher=gulfnews.com| date=September 25, 2011| access-date=September 25, 2011}}{{cite news| url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=/data/theuae/2011/July/theuae_July349.xml§ion=theuae| title=About the Federal National Council| publisher=khaleejtimes.com| date=4 July 2011| access-date=September 25, 2011| archive-date=6 July 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706140333/http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=%2Fdata%2Ftheuae%2F2011%2FJuly%2Ftheuae_July349.xml§ion=theuae| url-status=dead}} and 20 are elected by single non-transferable vote in seven electoral colleges based on the emirates. The colleges of Abu Dhabi and Dubai elects four members each, the colleges of Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah three each, and the colleges of Ajman, Fujairah and Umm al-Quwain two each.[http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2333_B.htm Electoral system] IPU Voters can vote for only one candidate in their emirate.[https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/federal-national-council-elections-how-to-vote-1.917269 Federal National Council elections: how to vote] The National, 30 September 2019
In December 2018, President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a directive that half the members of the Council should be women.[https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/sheikh-khalifa-uae-s-federal-national-council-to-be-50-per-cent-women-1.800357 Sheikh Khalifa: UAE's Federal National Council to be 50 per cent women] The National, 8 December 2018
Under the constitution of the United Arab Emirates, "each emirate shall be free to determine the method of selecting the citizens representing it in the Federal National Council". The rulers of each emirate decides who will be able to vote;{{Cite web|url=https://www.government.ae/error-pages/error?aspxerrorpath=/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/the-federal-national-council-https:/www.government.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/the-federal-national-council-|title=البوابة الرسمية لحكومة الإمارات العربية المتحدة|website=www.government.ae|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-date=2 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102050823/https://www.government.ae/error-pages/error?aspxerrorpath=%2Fen%2Fabout-the-uae%2Fthe-uae-government%2Fthe-federal-national-council-https%3A%2Fwww.government.ae%2Fen%2Fabout-the-uae%2Fthe-uae-government%2Fthe-federal-national-council-|url-status=dead}} the total number of voters has increased at each election, with an objective that all citizens will be able to vote in the future.[http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/politics.htm The Political System of the UAE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503032705/http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/politics.htm |date=2010-05-03 }} Government of the United Arab Emirates
On election day, 39 voting centers were opened in the UAE, nine of which had been open for early voting on 1–3 October. Overseas voters were able to vote in UAE embassies on 22 and 23 September.[https://gulfnews.com/uae/uae-fnc-elections-on-october-5-everything-you-need-to-know-1.66790166 FNC election, everything you need to know] Gulf News, 30 September 2019
Campaign
Results
A total of 117,592 votes were cast, a voter turnout of 34.81%. The number of votes cast increased by 48.5% compared to the 2015 elections.{{Cite web |url=http://www.uaenec.ae/ar/news/details/40573 |title=اللجنة الوطنية للانتخابات تعلن النتائج الأولية للفائزين في انتخابات المجلس الوطني الاتحادي 2019 |website=UAE National Electoral Commission, 6 October 2019}}
The UAE has a 50% quota system for women in parliament. Therefore 50% of all parliament seats are reserved for women. As a result of the quota system, seven of the 20 elected members were women,[https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/newly-elected-members-of-federal-national-council-revealed-1.919686 Newly elected members of Federal National Council revealed] The National, 6 October 2019 although the sole incumbent elected female MP Naama al-Sharhan failed to win re-election in Ras al-Khaimah.[http://www.uaenec.ae/ar/results Election results] National Election Commission To achieve gender parity, 13 of the 20 appointed members were women.
{{Election results
|party1=Independents|votes1=|seats1=20
|totalvotes=117592
|electorate=337738
|source=[https://www.thenational.ae/uae/record-turnout-for-historic-fnc-elections-1.919570 The National]
}}
=Elected members=
| class=wikitable
!Emirate !Elected members !Votes !Notes | |||
| rowspan=4|Abu Dhabi | Suhail al-Affari | align="right" |2,624 | |
| Khalfan al-Shamsi | align="right" |2,495 | ||
| Naema al-Mansouri | align="right" |444 | ||
| Moaza al-Amri | align="right" |370 | ||
| rowspan="4" |Dubai | Hamad al-Rahoumi | align="right" |1,517 | Re-elected |
| Osama al-Shafar | align="right" |1,032 | ||
| Mariam Bin Thania | align="right" |374 | ||
| Sarah Filknaz | align="right" |333 | ||
| rowspan="3" |Sharjah
|Humaid al-Shamsi | align="right" |1,227 | ||
| Adnan al-Hammadi | align="right" |985 | ||
| Obaid al-Ghoul | align="right" |947 | ||
| rowspan="3" |Ras al-Khaimah
|Yousef al-Shihhi | align="right" |2,569 | ||
| Saeed al-Abdi | align="right" |1,649 | ||
| Ahmad al-Shihhi | align="right" |1,501 | ||
| rowspan="2" |Ajman
|Ahmad Suwaidi | align="right" |680 | ||
| Hind al-Olayli | align="right" |114 | ||
| rowspan="2" |Fujairah | Mohammed al-Yammahi | align="right" |2,160 | Re-elected |
| Sabreen al-Yamahi | align="right" |955 | ||
| rowspan=2|Umm al-Quwain | Mohammed al-Kashef | align="right" |919 | |
| Athra Bin Rakkad | align="right" |270 | ||
| colspan=4|Source: [https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/newly-elected-members-of-federal-national-council-revealed-1.919686 The National] |
References
{{reflist}}
{{United Arab Emirates elections}}
Category:Elections in the United Arab Emirates
Category:Non-partisan elections
Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results