ABU DHABI // When Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed met a delegation of reporters in 1995, one of them said he covered the Federal National Council, but would not report on its criticism of the Government.
Sheikh Abdullah, then the newly appointed undersecretary of the Ministry of Information, asked the reporter what would be the point of covering the FNC if he did not publicise how the Government could do its job better.
The anecdote, relayed by Ibrahim al Abed, the director general of the National Media Council after the final session of the FNC's term this week, underscored the sensitive role of the quasi-parliament in holding a mirror up to the Government.
The term of the first half-elected, half-appointed legislature comes to a close today, and with it the UAE's first brush with the democratic experience.
Even as this initial phase comes to a conclusion, top officials have praised it as a success, and promised to expand political participation in the country.
"It is a historic council for the UAE, that can be developed and built upon with more advanced steps," said Ahmed al Khateri, the chairman of the legislative and legal affairs committee.
In an address to the council this week, Dr Anwar Gargash, the Minister of State for FNC Affairs, agreed, and spoke of "the political leadership's appreciation of your council's role".
That role is both to point out the Government's shortcomings, and to act as an advisory branch.
This council was the first experience the UAE has had with elections. It was the first to include female representatives, one of whom was elected. And it saw the enactment of a constitutional amendment in 2009 that extended its term from two to four years.
"Clearly the fact that half of the members were voted in, that it was a product not purely of the appointment system but also of free elections that took place in our society, that's a historic moment," said Najla al Awadhi, an FNC member from Dubai who is a woman.
It was also significant, she said, as it marked the participation of women in parliamentary life and nation-building, showing the "evolution of political participation in our society", and raising the profile of women's issues such as maternity leave.
The FNC's election in 2006 has been widely perceived as a stepping stone to broader political participation. Dr Gargash said the election of half of the FNC's members was a "beginning" that will be augmented with more participation by the citizenry.
"Our leadership is committed... to the council becoming one with greater ability, effectiveness, and closeness to the nation's issues and the grievances of citizens, instilling through it the values of participation and consensus," he said.
Abdulaziz al Ghurair, the speaker of the FNC, dedicated much of his closing address to underlining the council's most significant achievements.
These included a public debt law that regulated federal borrowing and might lead to the issuance of the country's first-ever federal bonds. It also included the passage of a media law that does not allow journalists to be imprisoned, but was seen as restricting freedom of the press in some ways.
Mr al Ghurair further pointed to the FNC's debates on the Zayed Housing Programme to try to relieve the country's immense demand for new housing units, its amendments to the consumer protection law that insulated residents from unfair price increases, and its debates on higher education strategy that exposed how graduates were often unprepared for the workplace.
Mr al Ghurair also spoke of the council's role on the international arena, with broad participation in international, regional and Islamic parliamentary gatherings that he said helped promote the UAE's foreign interests.
The council will continue to develop to "fulfill the hopes of our people in participation and preserve the interests of our nation," Mr al Ghurair said.
The term's end also shed light on the limited powers of the FNC, and the final session heard demands for increased legislative powers for the council, which remains only a quasi-parliament, lacking the authority to draft laws.
Members have repeatedly said the FNC should have more teeth — the ability to hold government bodies accountable and to oversee the implementation of its proposals, as well as create legislation.
The FNC’s term touched on a wide range of national issues:
• Field visits tothe Northern Emirates uncovered widespread power shortages, which led the Minister of Energy in early 2010 to promise a resolution within two years.
• Debates on higher education uncovered a gap between market conditions and graduates’ skills, and the financial troubles of federal universities with big deficits. FNC members argued forcefully for more money for these institutions.
• Debates on the federal budget exposed the vast discrepancy between the contributions of the different emirates, waste and mismanagement in federal bodies, and shortfalls in federal ministries, many of which face budget cuts in 2011.
• The council raised the profile of women’s issues, particularly in the federal government, arguing for longer maternity leave for women and nurseries in federal institutions. The debates led to the creation of a committee led by Dr Amal al Qubaisi, the only elected woman in the FNC, that will investigate working conditions for women in the federal government beginning this month.
• The council studied food and water security, raising the alarm on the level of strategic reserves and proposing an overhaul of the country’s agricultural sector to conserve water and attain a measure of self-sufficiency in food production. Members said the debates demonstrated that the FNC took the lead on a crucial national issue, particularly since the sessions showed the Government had no coherent food-security strategy.
• Committee investigations into federal human resources and labour policies studied the effect of imported labour on the UAE. The FNC estimated the practice costs the country up to Dh55 billion in areas including infrastructure, health, security and social services.