US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI908

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000908 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; 
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA 
LONDON ALSO FOR MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: "STOP THE APPOINTMENT" OF 
FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS 
 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: UAE PROFESSOR DR. ABDULKHALEQ ABDULLAH WROTE AN 
OP-ED IN THE PRIVATELY-OWNED, SHARJAH-BASED, PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL- 
KHALEEJ" (CIRCULATION 85,000) ENTITLED "STOP THE APPOINTMENT". 
DR. ABDULLAH STRONGLY CRITICIZES THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF 
APPOINTING MEMBERS TO THE FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL, DESCRIBING IT 
AS ANACHRONISTIC.  HE QUESTIONS HOW THE MECHANISM OF APPOINTMENT 
HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED DURING THE LAST 34 YEARS WHILE EVERYTHING 
ELSE IN THE EMIRATES HAS CHANGED AND DEVELOPED.  DR. ABDULLAH 
URGES THE PUBLIC TO DEMAND THEIR RIGHTS IF THEY ARE TO WITNESS 
ANY POLITICAL REFORMS IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) UNDER THE HEADLINE, "STOP THE APPOINTMENT", DR. 
ABDULKHALEQ ABDULLAH WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" 2/22: 
 
"LATELY MORE THAN 10 MILLION ARABS IN PALESTINE, IRAQ AND SAUDI 
ARABIA PRACTICED THEIR NATURAL AND LEGITIMATE RIGHTS OF VOTING, 
NOMINATION AND ELECTION. THESE ELECTIONS HAVE CONFIRMED THE ARAB 
CITIZEN'S WILLINGNESS TO CHALLENGE DEATH IN IRAQ IN ORDER TO VOTE 
FREELY, AND TO IGNORE THE OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE AND CHOOSE A 
CANDIDATE WHO WOULD IMPLEMENT HIS POLITICAL PROGRAM.  THE SAUDI 
ELECTIONS HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED SAUDIS' WILLINGNESS TO CELEBRATE 
EVEN MODEST MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.  THIS ACTIVITY COMES WHILE OUR 
FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL (FNC) SILENTLY CELEBRATES ITS 34TH 
ANNIVERSARY, ENJOYING ITS HIBERNATION.  THE FNC WILL BEGIN A NEW 
CHAPTER FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN THE 
MECHANISM USED TO CHOOSE ITS MEMBERS, AND WITHOUT ANY HOPE OF A 
CLEAR NATIONAL PROGRAM THAT WOULD BRING IT INTO HARMONY WITH THE 
ASPIRATIONS OF THE EMIRATI PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR POLITICAL 
WILL.  EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE UAE AND THE SURROUNDING 
COUNTRIES EXCEPT THE FNC, WHICH CONTINUES TO BE STEADFAST IN ITS 
POSITION.  HUGE AND COSTLY WARS HAVE ERUPTED IN THE REGION, 
COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED, REGIMES HAVE BEEN TOPPLED, 
CONVICTIONS HAVE BEEN ALTERED AND THE WORLD HAS ENTERED A NEW AGE 
OF FREEDOM AND ELECTIONS, EXCEPT THE FNC IN THE UAE." 
 
3. (U) ". NO CHANGE HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE FNC UNLIKE EVERY OTHER 
ASPECT OF LIFE IN THE UAE.  IN FACT IT HAS RETREATED AND ISOLATED 
ITSELF FROM THE COMMUNITY.  THERE IS NO LOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF 
THE STANDSTILL OF THE FNC AND THE LIMITED CAPACITY OF ITS 
POLITICAL AND SUPERVISORY ROLE.  IT IS ILLOGICAL AND UNACCEPTABLE 
FOR THE FNC TO REMAIN THE ONLY COUNCIL IN THE REGION THAT HAS NOT 
UNDERGONE ANY CHANGE IN THE LAST 34 YEARS.  IT IS TIME TO SAY 
"ENOUGH" TO THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FNC MEMBERS IN AN AGE THAT 
BELIEVES IN ELECTIONS, DOES NOT ACCEPT APPOINTMENT, REITERATES 
MAN'S NATURAL AND LEGITIMATE RIGHTS AND DOES NOT ACCEPT LIMITING 
THESE RIGHTS IN THE FREE PARTICIPATION OF POLITICAL LIFE.  IT IS 
ALSO "ENOUGH" FOR A NATIONAL COUNCIL WITH LIMITED CONSULTATIVE 
AUTHORITY, WITHOUT ANY LEGISLATIVE POWER, AND OUT OF SYNC WITH 
THE UAE'S LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS.  IT IS "ENOUGH" 
FOR A COUNCIL THAT EXCLUDES THE ROLE OF WOMEN, EVEN WHEN A WOMAN 
SERVES AS A MINISTER, WHEN THEY PRECLUDE HER FROM PARTICIPATION 
IN THE FNC.  IT IS ALSO "ENOUGH" TO A FNC THAT DOES NOT CHANGE OR 
DEVELOP TO MEET NEW CHANGES AND DOES NOT EXPRESS CONCERNS OF THE 
PEOPLE." 
 
4. (U) "THE QUESTION IS, WHO WILL MAKE THESE CHANGES AT THE FNC? 
ITS IMAGE HAS BECOME TOTALLY DISTORTED INTERNALLY AND ABROAD. 
THE FNC HAS COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT IS NOT ABLE TO MAKE 
THESE NECESSARY CHANGES.  THESE CHANGES GO FAR BEYOND THE 
COUNCIL'S PRIVILEGES.ALL MEMBERS ARE LOOKING AT THE GOVERNMENT TO 
TAKE ACTION REGARDING DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM.  THIS PUTS THE BALL 
IN THE GOVERNMENT'S COURT TO ENACT POLITICAL REFORM THAT IS IN 
STEP WITH ITS OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY. 
HOWEVER, AS ALWAYS, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT VOLUNTEER TO MAKE 
THESE CHANGES ON ITS OWN AND WILL NOT MAKE THEM UNLESS DEMANDED 
TO DO SO BY THE PUBLIC.  WITHOUT PUBLIC PRESSURE THE TRAIN OF 
POLITICAL REFORM WILL NOT MOVE AND THE ROLE OF THE FNC WILL NOT 
BE REALIZED AND THE OUTDATED MECHANISM OF APPOINTING FNC MEMBERS 
WILL REMAIN AS IT HAS BEEN FOR 34 YEARS.  SINCE THE FNC WILL NOT 
REFORM ON ITS OWN, SINCE THE GOVERNMENT SEEMS UNWILLING TO ENACT 
THE CHANGE BY ITSELF, AND SINCE THE EMIRATI PUBLIC IS TOO 
CONSUMED WITH THE AFFAIRS OF THEIR OWN DAILY LIVES, THE STATIC 
SITUATION OF THE FNC APPEARS TO BE LOCKED IN PLACE FOR THE 
CURRENT LEGISLATIVE CHAPTER WITH NO HOPE OF PROGRESS." 
 
SISON