The National Elections Commission announced the preliminary list of candidates for the elections of the Federal National Council 2019, which includes 499 candidates, including 182 women, after completing the verification of the conditions and rules governing the candidacy process, where the list did not include those who did not meet one of the conditions of candidacy, while the Committee warned citizens, who They registered the applications and their names were included in the preliminary lists of candidacy, using the status of a candidate, before the expiry of the appeals period and the announcement of the final lists.

The committee took into account the availability of the requirements for the applicant to be of good conduct and reputation, as stipulated in the constitutional conditions for the nomination process for membership of the Federal National Council.

The Minister of Health and Community Protection and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairman of the National Election Commission, Abdulrahman Al Owais, said that the electoral process of the members of the Federal National Council stands on a new stage in promoting its quest for more excellence and success, in the management of the electoral process according to the highest standards, and commensurate with The distinguished status witnessed by the State.

According to the timetable, announced recently by the National Elections Commission, this list is not approved and final, where the names will be announced on a final list by the Commission on the third of September, and on the fourth of September begins the period of submission of the names of candidates' agents, according to the conditions governing it in the instructions Executive.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) will now open the door for three days of objection to candidates for electoral bodies. On September 1, the NEC will announce its response to the objections.

Each member of the emirate's electoral body may submit an application to challenge the candidacy of a candidate to the emirate's committee according to the form prepared for it, within the period set by the National Elections Commission from 26 to 28 August 2019, provided that the appeal is based on reasonable grounds. The application shall be accompanied by an amount of 3000 dirhams, which shall be deposited as surety with the National Elections Commission, provided that such amount shall be refunded to the applicant if the decision is issued in his favor and confiscated if his appeal is rejected.

The Appeals Committee, chaired by a judge and two members with legal expertise and competence, will examine and examine appeals against candidates and report its legal opinion to the National Elections Commission for decisions on the strength of final judgments.

While the National Elections Commission warned citizens, who have registered applications for the Federal National Council elections 2019, and their names are included in the preliminary lists of the candidacy, not to use the status of a candidate for the elections of the National Assembly, before the end of the appeal period and the announcement of the final lists of candidates on September 3, confirming that the applicant To be considered as an official candidate only after the announcement of the final lists of candidates.

The Committee also warned against the possibility of any applicants to apply for early or proactive electoral propaganda, as this exposes them to an electoral offense that requires administrative punishment.

The committee pointed out that the candidate is allowed, after the final approval of his candidacy, the exercise of electoral propaganda in the period and places allocated only, and within the mechanisms, controls and conditions stipulated in the executive instructions, stressing that all of the above irregular acts aimed at electoral propaganda or promotion of a particular candidate , Any person who practices them may be subject to violation of the executive instructions, which may result in the abolition of his right to run or to conduct electoral propaganda, or even to permanently exclude his name from the lists of electoral bodies.

She said: «Electoral advertising may be practiced after the adoption of the final list of candidates, and only within the time allotted for this, which was announced in the election timetable, which limited the election campaign period from the eighth of September to the fourth Friday of October next», warning of any Candidate for early or proactive propaganda, as an electoral offense that entails administrative punishment.

She stressed that no form of propaganda may be carried out, following the announcement of the cessation of campaigning (after Friday prayers on the 4th of October), with the possibility of taking advantage of the manifestations of media campaigns prior to this date, which can remain the same, but may not be Any new electoral manifestations after this date.

Electoral rules

The National Elections Commission has laid down a number of rules and caveats that can contribute to the control of the election campaigns of the candidates of the FNC elections, prohibiting the candidate from conducting any electoral propaganda that involves deceiving or fraudulent voters, or using the method of defamation or defamation of other candidates in the electoral campaign. It also strictly prohibited the use of religion or tribal or ethnic affiliation in electoral propaganda, and also prohibited the participation or solidarity of candidates, directly or indirectly, in the implementation of election campaigns, because the campaigns are individual.

The committee warned all candidates not to put posters, paintings and propaganda pictures in places other than those specified by the UAE committees, in accordance with local regulations established in each emirate, and taking into account the provision of equal opportunities for each candidate, as well as the use of associations, clubs, schools, universities and institutes, places of worship and hospitals, and all government buildings and semi Government (federal or local), public parks, commercial centers, and government-owned councils, in the electoral campaign, noting that it is also prohibited to use telephone messages by companies, or commercial use in the campaign, or Old gifts in kind or material for voters.

The Committee stressed that candidates are prohibited from pasting leaflets, advertisements or any type of writing, drawings and pictures on cars or vehicles of all kinds, or the use of the official state emblem or symbols in meetings, declarations and electoral leaflets and in all types of writings and fees used in the election campaign.

Election donations

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has confirmed that although the original funding of the campaigns for any candidate is to be 'self-worth', in the sense that it is the candidate who is responsible for spending on his election campaign, it has authorized the candidate to receive electoral donations from natural or legal persons only in the UAE. The candidate shall receive any funds or donations from foreign persons or entities, provided that these donations do not exceed the maximum ceiling set for spending on the election campaign, amounting to two million dirhams.

499

The number of candidates on the preliminary list, including 182 candidates.