Emirati study center: UAE government reforms are dead letter
The Emirates Center for Studies and Media (Emacs) confirmed that the ruling regime’s move to reform the government will remain dead letter without lifting the hand on public freedoms in the country, releasing prisoners of opinion, and tackling corruption.
The UAE announced its new government, which is supposed to try to reduce government spending in the light of the Coronavirus pandemic crisis, expecting a recession in the economy after the end of the crisis.
Emacs has repeatedly warned that the increase in the number of the State’s bodies and authorities causes a conflict of powers, weighs the administrative body in the country and increases unnecessary costs. But, the authorities preferred to move forward in an attempt to improve the image and reputation caused by the state security apparatus.
The attempt to reform the government is supposed to be an advanced step within a broader strategy in fixing the mistakes that the State Security Department has been involved in which are based on building a security system that controls the three authorities in the country while using media to justificate its actions.
Reforming the government without undertaking fundamental reforms such as releasing opinion prisoners and guaranteeing freedom of opinion and expression, and ensuring a parliament with full powers elected from all groups of the people, will be in vain.
UAE witnessed in recent days a public constitutional coup that was established by forming a new government without adhering to the rules of the country’s federal constitution.
The Vice President of the Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid, announced a new government in consultation with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed, without mentioning the head of state, Khalifa bin Zayed and with complete absence of members of the Federal Council of the State.
The new government included 33 ministers, with four more than the previous government, without modifying sovereign positions and with absolute control of the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The new formation included the abolition of the Ministry of Happiness, the incorporation of 50% of government structures, and the appointment of 3 ministers under the Ministry of Economy in a formal recognition of the severity of the collapse in the UAE economy.
As the UAE economy is suffers a major shock and is threatened with deflation by 3.4% this year, Standard & Poor’s International Agency confirms that expectations indicate that the financial deficit in the UAE will jump to 40 times the levels recorded last year.
The UAE’s economic crises are exacerbated by the country’s huge military spending, full involvement in conflicts, and financing endless wars in Yemen, Libya and other countries.
