| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Majlis Watani Itihadi / Federal National Council |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
3 October 2015 |
| Purpose of elections |
Since there are no political parties in the UAE, all candidates ran as independents. During election campaigning, many candidates focused on social issues, promising to provide better housing and more health services. Others focused on job creation and better educational services. The size of the Electoral College (a body which elects half (20) of the members of the Federal National Council) remained small but increased from 129,274 in 2011 to 224,279 in 2015. The government described the move as the leadership's willingness to "enable citizens to participate actively in the process of political development". Turnout increased from 27.25% to 35.29%. As in the 2011 elections, one woman was among the 20 winners. On 18 November, the newly elected members were sworn in alongside the 20 appointed members, including eight women.
The 2015 elections used a single-vote system (meaning each voter voted for only one candidate in his/her emirate). Previously, voters were allowed to vote for as many as half the number of seats from their respective emirates. Eligible voters outside the country were allowed to vote for the first time in 2015. |
Date of previous elections: 24 September 2011
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections: October 2019
Number of seats at stake: 20 (full renewal)
Number of candidates: 330 (252 men, 78 women)
Percentage of women candidates: 23.6%
Number of parties contesting the election: Not applicable*
*There are no political parties in the UAE
Number of parties winning seats: Not applicable.
Alternation of power: Not applicable*
*The monarchy
Number of parties in government: Not applicable.
Names of parties in government: Not applicable.
Date of the first session of the new parliament: 18 November 2015
Name of the new Speaker: Ms. Amal Abdulla Al Qubaisi
|
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 3 October 2015 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
224'279
79'157 (35.29%)
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Notes
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| Distribution of votes |
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| Distribution of seats |
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| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
31
9
22.50%
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| Distribution of seats according to age |
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| Distribution of seats according to profession |
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| Comments |
Note on the distribution of seats according to political group:
Not applicable: there are no political parties.
Note on the distribution of seats according to sex:
One woman was elected while eight others were appointed by the rulers of the constituent states.
Sources:
Federal National Council (12.10.2015, 19.11.2015)
http://www.thenational.ae |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
