U.A.E Traditional Government |
Traditionally, the ruler of an emirate, the sheikh, was the leader of the most powerful, though not necessarily the most populous, tribe, while each individual tribe, and often its various sub-sections, also generally had a chief or sheikh. Such rulers and chiefs maintained their authority only insofar as they were able to retain the loyalty and support of their people, in essence a form of direct democracy, though without the paraphernalia of western forms of suffrage.
Part of that democracy was the unwritten but strong principle that the people should have free access to their sheikh, and that he should hold a frequent and open majlis, or council, in which his fellow tribesmen could voice their opinions.
Such a direct democracy, which may be ideally suited to small and relatively uncomplicated societies, becomes steadily more difficult to maintain as populations grow, while the increasing sophistication of government administration means that on a day-to-day basis many of the inhabitants of the emirates now find it more appropriate to deal directly with these institutions on most matters, rather than to seek to meet personally with their ruler or sheikh.
Nevertheless, a fascinating aspect of life in the UAE today, and one that is essential to an understanding of its political system, is the way in which the institution of the majlis has continued to maintain its relevance. In larger emirates, not only the ruler, but also a number of other senior members of his family, continue to hold open majlises (or majalis), in which participants may raise a wide range of topics, from a request for a piece of land, or a scholarship for a son or daughter to go abroad, to more weighty subjects such as the impact of large-scale foreign immigration upon society or complaints about perceived flaws in the practices of various ministries and departments.
In smaller emirates, the majlis of the ruler himself, or of the crown prince or deputy ruler, remains the main focus. The Ruler of Fujairah, for example, holds an open majlis at least once a week (daily during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan), which may be attended by both citizens and expatriates. To these majlises come traditionally-minded tribesmen who may have waited several months for the opportunity to discuss with their ruler directly, rather than choose to pursue their requests or complaints through a modern governmental structure.
Just as the modern institutions have developed in response to public need and demand, however, so the traditional forms of tribal administration have adapted. With many relatively routine matters now being dealt with by the modern institutions, traditional institutions, like the majlis, have been able to focus on more complex issues rather than on the routine matters with which they were once heavily involved.
In the majlises, for example, it is possible to hear detailed, and often heated, discussions between sheikhs and other citizens on questions such as the policy that should be adopted towards the evolution of the machinery of government, or the nature of relations with neighbouring countries. On matters more directly affecting the individual, such as the highly relevant topic of unemployment among young UAE graduates, debates often tend to begin in the majlises, where discussion can be fast and furious, before a consensus approach evolves that is subsequently reflected in changes in government policy.
Through such means, the well-tested traditional methods of government in the United Arab Emirates have been able to retain both their essential relevance and unique vitality, and they continue to play an important, although often unpublicised, role in the evolution of the state today.
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U.A.E Traditional Government |
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