A huge leap for UAE, one baby step for democracy

Congratulations if you are one among the 6689 people eligible to cast a vote to elect half of the 40-member Federal National Council of UAE. If you are one, good to know that there is a 17.77% chance that you are a woman. Though the ruling families gets to choose the 6689 voters and also 'the better half' of the council, I am sure the FNC will do a fantastic job as an advisory board with no legislative powers.

The last time I casted a vote, I had to choose between a communist poet, an agnostic christian, a hindu fundamentalist and my college mate who used an apple as his election symbol. Though I missed being poked on my finger with stamp ink, I did enjoy standing in the queue alongside a surprisingly sober toddy addict, a professional coconut tree climber(what else do you call them), a dozen communist activists and some muslim relatives marvelling at the electronic voting machine.

The light at the end of the tunnel is fortunately not an approaching train(we will have to wait longer for the Dubai metro, don't we?), but a lit-up matchstick. Atleast that is what Asda'a is trying to tell us.