Emirates to hold limited voting :: Guardian

Quote:

The United Arab Emirates announced Thursday it will hold a limited form of voting to pick members of a consultative council, a small step toward widening political participation in a country that has never held elections.

The reform is a limited one, allowing a select group to vote to choose half the members of the Federal National Council, the closest body the country has to a parliament, though it does not have legislative powers. The other half of the council's members will continue to be appointed.
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Under the reform, the leader of each emirate will continue to select half of his representatives. He will also select a larger group of people who will vote among themselves to pick the other half.

The Emirates is the only country among the six Gulf Cooperation Council members that has yet to hold any form of political elections.