UAE WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT POSSIBLY BY 2004-05

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002096 SIPDIS STATE FOR DRL, NEA/PI, AND NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: PGOV KWMN KDEM TC SUBJECT: UAE WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT POSSIBLY BY 2004-05 REF: ABU DHABI 2034 ¶1. THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE UAE GENERAL WOMEN'S UNION, NOURA AL-SUWEIDI, TOLD POLCHIEF ON JUNE 21 THAT WOMEN COULD BE APPOINTED TO THE 40-MEMBER FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL (FNC) DURING THE 2004-05 SESSION THAT BEGINS IN THE FALL. AL-SUWEIDI MENTIONED THAT A LIST OF WOMEN NOMINATED BY RULERS OF EACH EMIRATE HAS BEEN COMPILED AND SUBMITTED TO PRESIDENT SHAYKH ZAYED, WHO WILL REVIEW AND APPROVE THE NAMES. "WE WILL HAVE WOMEN IN THE PARLIAMENT IN THE NEXT SESSION, GOD WILLING," SHE SAID. ¶2. IN RECENT YEARS, SHAYKH ZAYED'S WIFE, SHAYKHA FATIMA, HAS CALLED PUBLICLY FOR THE RULERS OF EACH OF THE SEVEN EMIRATES AND THE FNC TO INCLUDE UAE WOMEN IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS, INCLUDING APPOINTING THEM TO THE FNC. NOURA AL-SUWEIDI HAS HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE FNC LEADERSHIP TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF OPENING UP THE PARLIAMENT MEMBERSHIP TO WOMEN. OUR FNC CONTACTS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THESE MEETINGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE AND HAVE BEEN FRUITFUL, BUT THEY DID NOT SAY THAT THERE WAS A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME WHEN THEY EXPECTED WOMEN TO BE APPOINTED. ¶3. THE DISCUSSION WITH AL-SUWEIDI ALSO COVERED THE RECENTLY RELEASED TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT (SEE REFTEL),AL-SUWEIDI'S PARTICIPATION IN THE MEPI "CAMPAIGN SCHOOL" IN DOHA LAST SPRING, AND A PLANNED INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S CONFERENCE THAT THE GWU WILL SPONSOR. AL-SUWEIDI AND HER STAFF GAVE POLCHIEF, EMBASSY POLITICAL ASSISTANT, AND THE SECTION'S SUMMER INTERN, A COMPREHENSIVE TOUR OF THE GWU, THE PRE-EMINENT WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION IN THE UAE. ALBRIGHT