From the Tehran Times:
Academics and members of the appointed consultative council in the United Arab Emirates came out in favor of elections in the Persian Gulf state, arguing that it could not stay out of the regional trend toward elected bodies.
When millions of Arabs in Palestine, Iraq and Saudi Arabia have gone to the polls, the UAE cannot continue to lag behind, Professor Abdul Khaleq Abdullah of the UAE University told the English-language daily Khaleej Times.
“I strongly support the idea of having elected members” in the Federal National Council, said Khalifa Jumma al-Naboda, who sits on the 40-strong FNC, which is appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates making up the UAE.
Fellow member Mohammad bin Ali al-Nagbi told the same newspaper he would support elections as long as they were decided from within and were not imposed by external pressure. Atiq Daka, a professor of political science at the UAE University, told AFP: “Our country is now the only member of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) which has yet to catch up with the political opening up under way in the Arab world. Even countries we thought incapable of political change, such as Saudi Arabia, are now ahead of us.”
The PGCC groups the UAE with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain and Kuwait have elected parliaments, while Oman has an elected advisory council.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR—WE DON’T WANT YOUR STINKING WAR! FOR OIL AND HEGEMONY! BUSH FASCIST!
Question: is it possible that the infamous Arab Street, having caught a wiff of the musk of democratic reform, is deciding it wouldn’t mind trading sesame candies and the practice of shooting rifles in the air for a bit of political self-determination?
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(thanks to Diana)
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update: Ace connects some dots. More from James Joyner and hubs and spokes.
Previous: Chimpy McHitlerBurton’s smirky rodeo ride through history continues, #1 & #2
Infamy!!! At last.
Egypt is also getting on the bandwagon. Multicandidate presidential elections this September.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=59643&d=27&m=2&y=2005
Damn Halliburton Fascist Bush Global Oil Hegemony!
Hey V.T. —
That was Chimpy McHitlerBurton’s smirky rodeo ride through history continues, #2.
If this rodeo meme persists that can only mean one thing: Luke Perry, star of “8 Seconds” will play Dubya in the TNT Biopic.
If this rodeo thing is an official meme, shouldn’t a blog named, say, “Yippee-Ki-Yay!” maybe, be featured prominently for atmospheric purposes?
Just a thought.
Heh.
A noble gesture.
You’re awful smug today, Goldstein.
I like smug. You do smug well, and in the service of good.
I’m sure it opens me to those “101st Keyboard Brigade” accusations, but as someone who’s been supportive of President Bush’s foreign policy through (let’s be honest) some pretty tough, depressing times in the past year or so, I feel like I’m on that smirky rodeo ride with him, ridin’ shotgun next to Dubya on a Brahma bull. Just once, I feel like I’m tasting the sweet draught of vindication.
I could be big about it, but instead I’d like to take this moment to say ”IN YOUR FACE!”
Turing word: “Indeed.”
In-DAMN-deed.
Not only is Chimpy forcing evil capitalism on our poor AY-rab brothers, but he’s been busy firing Gunga Dan, apparently.
I don’t know about anybody else, but I like sesame candies and shooting rifles.