Khalifa begins second term

Mahmoud Habboush

• Last Updated: November 04. 2009 12:36AM UAE / November 3. 2009 8:36PM GMT

ABU DHABI // Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, who has overseen five years of political, social and economic reforms, began his second term as President yesterday.

He was re-elected by the members of the Supreme Council, made up of the rulers of the seven emirates. The council, as stipulated by the Constitution, selects one of its members to lead the nation, but the President has traditionally been the Ruler of Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Zayed, the late founder of the nation, was elected once, and re-elected another six times, between 1971 to 2004.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said Sheikh Khalifa’s re-election was a great day in UAE history and confirmed the Supreme Council’s trust in his approach. It would signal greater prosperity for years to come, he said in a statement published by WAM, the state news agency.

“The UAE is making rapid, staggering and tangible progress under the stewardship of Sheikh Khalifa,” said Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region, WAM reported. “The holistic development going on in all emirates simultaneously underlines Sheikh Khalifa’s sincere determination to secure a decent life to both UAE people and expatriate residents,” he said.

Sheikh Khalifa is credited with introducing the country’s first elections in 2006. Half of the 40-member Federal National Council, an advisory body with some parliamentary powers, were selected by a hand-picked electorate of 6,689 citizens, including 1,189 women.

In 2005, the President promised to make the FNC “more capable [and] more effective”.

Further reforms were introduced last December, when the Supreme Council made a constitutional amendment extending the FNC’s term from two years to four years.

FNC members are also now allowed to discuss international treaties and agreements that are referred to the body by the President. Before the change, the Government would inform the FNC of treaties only after they had been signed.

Abdul Aziz al Ghurair, the FNC Speaker, said yesterday he was content with the “gradual” political reform being delivered by Sheikh Khalifa.

“The policy of gradation is suitable, especially that it’s accepted by everyone,” he said. “Everyone thinks that a policy of gradual [reform] is better than rushing for [political] participation.

Although most FNC members share this view, many have made ardent appeals to grant the federal body more powers to hold government officials accountable.

Mr al Ghurair made a public appeal for more “legislative and monitoring powers” during the opening session of the FNC last month, which was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

On the foreign policy level, officials and observers agreed the UAE had taken major steps in the past few years, including the strengthening of relations with allies and fostering relations with emerging global powers such as China.

In the past two years, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed made two visits to China where strategic co-operation agreements were struck.

The relationship with France was also intensified with the opening of a 500-troop military base in Abu Dhabi in May.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Foreign Minister, visited dozens of countries this year, a diplomatic marathon that culminated in the UAE’s winning bid to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) in June. Some say this drive, aimed at garnering support for a single issue, is unprecedented in Arab diplomacy.

“This is an achievement,” said Dr Mohamed bin Huwaidin, a professor of political science at the UAE University. “It would’ve not been done without the presence of a political will by the leadership.”

On the administrative level, Sheikh Khalifa has overseen the strengthening of federal institutions and an increase in the federal budget, which hit a record high in 2008.

New ministries have been formed, including the Ministry of Federal National Council Affairs in 2006 and the Ministry of Foreign Trade in 2008.

Ahmed al Dhahiri, an FNC member from Abu Dhabi, said an important aspect of the administrative reforms was slimming the size of the ministries by shifting their focus from executing operations and services to legislation and planning.

In his statement, Sheikh Hamdan said: “Sheikh Khalifa’s wisdom in running the state affairs has left its lucid positive marks on all departments, utilities, NGOs [non-governmental organisations] and relief and charity organisations.

Sheikh Hamdan, who is also the chairman of Red Crescent Authority, lauded Sheikh Khalifa’s humanitarian initiatives which “lend support to human development across the world”.

“Sheikh Khalifa uses the UAE’s wealth to give a hand to sisterly and friendly countries, reviving hopes of those peoples and extending bridges of love and peace through the undertaking pilot development and humanitarian projects,” he said.

Before Sheikh Khalifa’s presidency he served in several federal and local positions.

In 1966, Sheikh Zayed appointed his eldest son as his Representative to the Eastern Region, where Sheikh Khalifa continued the agricultural development of Al Ain oasis that had been initiated by his father.

In 1969, he became the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and took command of the newly founded army. After the creation of the federation in 1971, he served as Minister of Defence and Finance. He also served as a Deputy Prime Minister and in 1976 became the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

He was at the head of several investment bodies and state corporations, including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which is believed to be the world largest sovereign wealth fund.



mhabboush@thenational.ae