Sharjah citizens, for the third day in a row, continue to crowd the electoral centres of the Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC) elections to select 25 of the Council’s members out of 189 candidates.

Since 08:00 in the morning, the nine polling centres across the Emirate of Sharjah have been seeing an increased turnout of citizens, driven by their desire to exercise their voting right and participate in decision making, towards an enhanced parliamentary approach in the Emirate under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

The visit of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah to the polling station at Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club on Thursday morning provided major support for the electoral process. It came out of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi’s keenness to listen to the people of Sharjah, meet their needs and secure them a decent life.

Sheikh Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Mualla, Chairman of Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, said the visit of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah to the polling station was an important motivation for voters and candidates alike. It reflected His Highness' confidence in and keenness on the Sharjah Consultative Council, added Sheikh Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Mualla, who described the SCC as an international example with its programmes and objectives, which all serve the interest of Sharjah citizens and the Emirate as a whole.

Meanwhile, more and more officials and employees from the various government entities in Sharjah are visiting the SCC electoral centres to cast their votes.

Brigadier Arif Al Shamsi, Executive Director of Sharjah’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, said: “Today, I proudly responded to the call of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah to choose the right member to represent me at the Sharjah Consultative Council. It’s a duty that everyone must comply with.”

Dr. Mohammed Abdullah bin Huwaiden, Chairman of Al Dhaid Municipal Council, pointed to the remarkable turnout of citizens to the polling stations, out of their keenness to participate in this electoral “wedding”. He called on all citizens registered in the Emirate of Sharjah to vote in response to the call of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and in service of the Emirate’s interest.

The electoral centres around Sharjah also witnessed a considerable presence of children who accompanied their families to learn about the parliamentary experience in the Emirate.

Hamad Jumah brought along his three-week-old baby girl to be the youngest visitor to the polling station in Sharjah City. He put her on one arm, while voting with the other for his representative under the SCC dome.

Jumah said: "I brought my child to this important experience because it guarantees her and future generations a safe and prosperous future. I wanted to convey my message of the need to develop the parliamentary awareness of our children from a young age and involve them in the electoral experience of the Emirate."

For his part, Khalfan Al Shamsi, who took his little son to the electoral centre at Expo Centre Khorfakkan, said: “I’ve brought my son so he can closely witness the electoral experience and be motivated to follow my suit when he meets election criteria. He stressed the importance of the electoral process in producing those who are capable of representing the people of Sharjah.

The electoral centres, which are open until tomorrow, November 23, for 12 hours a day, from 08:00 to 20:00, are distributed across the Emirate of Sharjah as follows:

Sharjah City: Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club

Hamriyah: Hamriyah Municipality

Khorfakkan: Expo Centre Khorfakkan

Kalba: University of Sharjah – Kalba campus

Dibba Al Hisn: Dibba Al Hisn Municipal Council

Al Dhaid: University of Sharjah – Al Dhaid campus

Al Bataeh: Al Bataeh Municipality

Mleiha: Mleiha Cultural Club

Al Madam: Al Madam Municipality