Involving the public is good for the FNC

Diversifying how council members reach out to people is an essential part of politics

The recent Federal National Council discussion regarding sharp fee increases at private schools reflected a growing concern in society. The issue has affected many families, some of whom are already deep in debt and are increasingly worried about the future of their children’s education. This is precisely the role that the consultative body is meant to play: to raise the questions that occupy the minds of the population and to query the measures taken by the Government to address them.

For the same reason, field trips are important. As The National reported yesterday, the council’s members embarked on their first community tour in Fujairah to encourage communities to play a more active role in the FNC’s work. They visited seven community centres in the city and Dibba, starting with the Fujairah Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled, and took part in the centre’s Autism Day celebrations. This was part of the FNC Parliamentary Strategic Plan for 2016 to 2021, which calls for field visits to variousplaces such as medical, social, educational and sports entities. The current round of visits will eventually take in all seven emirates.

But this doesn’t end with the conclusion of the tour. While these visits are a good way to get a closer look at society, they are set-piece engagements that may also be heavily stage managed.

The next step is to take the issues raised on the tour, study them from all angles, try to find suitable solutions and offer recommendations for the Government. The UAE’s unique system requires a constant, active role from the consultative body to engage with people and discuss the issues that matter to them.

What can also be done to serve the same purpose is to have regular political surgeries, at which the general public have an opportunity to hold one-on-one meetings with FNC members to discuss policy matters.

Such a system has proved successful in countries such as the UK, where members of parliament arrange confidential surgeries in their constituencies. Used effectively, these surgeries build bridges between constituents and parliamentarians.

Our version of a surgery is, of course, the majlis, but it could also be effective for FNC members to hold private meetings with voters to make sure that even the softest voice is heard.