Sharjah all set for council elections

Sharjah - This will be the second process of direct elections to the Sharjah Consultative Council.

It's all systems go for the upcoming elections for the 10th term of the Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC), officials announced at a Press conference on Sunday.
Dr Mansour bin Nassar, chairman of the higher committee for the SCC elections, said the committee is "sparing no effort to strengthen the parliamentary process in Sharjah to involve the citizens in the decision-making process as per the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah".
This will be the second process of direct elections to the SCC. Officials noted that participation rate in the first SCC elections touched 67 per cent, with the number of electoral college members crossing 24,952 voters. Around 16,696 voters elected the 21 winners from among 195 candidates.
Dr Nassar underscored the importance of citizens' participation the electoral process and their power to make reforms.
"Around half of the members of the council will be directly elected and they would act as the voice of the public and the link between the people and decision-makers," he noted.
For his part, Ahmed Saeed Al Jarwan, member of the supreme committee and secretary-general of the SCC, lauded the performance of the council, saying it has emerged as a "strong bridge" between the citizens and the government in Sharjah.
angel@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah