The National Election Committee has adopted the final list of the winners of the Federal National Council Elections 2015, held on 3rd October, after examining the report on the conduct of the electoral process as well as the report of the Appeals Committee on the preliminary results of the elections.
 
The NEC considered the report of the Appeals Committee on the only appeal it received from one of the candidates in Dubai. Under the provisions of Article 56/A of the Appeals Committee, the NEC rejected the appeal due to lack of strong evidence  in the case of claim against the validity of the preliminary results. 
 
The meeting expressed sincere gratitude to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for supporting the political empowerment programme.
 
The Committee also thanked Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, for their encouragement to the electoral process in 2015.
 
The election committee stated that the launch of the political empowerment programme by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan reflected the visionary outlook of His Highness to promote gradual political participation in the country.

The process has opened new horizons in the development of parliamentary culture in the country through effective coordination between the Federal National Council and the government to achieve remarkable progress in the nation’s development march, the Committee noted.
 
The Committee also expressed its appreciation for Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, for all the support he extended in organising the elections for the first time outside the country.
The UAE citizens residing abroad were able to vote in the elections in a smooth process with the active involvement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the UAE embassies and diplomatic missions.
 
It also thanked the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Ministry of Interior, led by Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for supporting the work of the committee during all stages of the electoral process.
 
In a related context, the election committee decided to donate the electronic infrastructure used during the elections, including computers, touch screens and a large number of printers and laptops, to support the education sector in Yemen.
 
Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairman of the National Election Committee, attributed the success of the elections to the support of the leadership during all the stages of the electoral process. He said the third electoral exercise in the UAE has contributed to the gradual approach of the development of parliamentary life in the country, fostered a culture of political participation, and helped enhance the political awareness of the voters and the candidates.  

The NEC thanked the offices of the Rulers of the Emirates, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, the Ministries of Justice, Health and Education, the Federal National Council, and all the federal and local national institutions, the Emirates Identity Authority in particular, for the success of the elections. The Committee also expressed appreciation for the efforts of all the strategic partners of the electoral process, Higher Colleges of Technology, Emirates Committees, and all the teams that contributed to the electoral process.
 
The election committee also thanked all citizens for their active participation in the elections as candidates and voters. It also thanked the media for supporting the electoral process and helping raise awareness about the importance of political participation among all segments of the society as well as effectively conveying the NEC messages across the country and the region.
 
Describing this year’s elections as a major step forward in the political empowerment programme in the country, Minister Gargash said the NEC is preparing a comprehensive report covering all aspects of the electoral process to serve as an important reference document for future elections. The Committee will hold a special workshop with key stakeholders to include their views in the report, Gargash said.
 
The election committee congratulated all the winners and expressed the hope that the new members of the Federal National Council will act as the voice of the UAE society and succeed in expressing the aspirations of the citizens to achieve greater cooperation with the government for the comprehensive development of the country.