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UAE Yearbook 2010
federal-local interaction the powers of the various federal institutions and their relationship with the separate local institutions have changed since the establishment of the state. under the terms of the constitution, rulers may relinquish certain areas of authority to the federal government one such significant move was the decision to unify the armed forces in the mid-1970s. the 1971 constitution also permitted each emirate to retain, or to take up, membership in the organisation of petroleum exporting countries and the organisation of arab petroleum exporting countries, although none have done so (abu dhabi relinquished its membership in favour of the federation in 1971). the relationship between the federal and local systems of government continues to evolve. as the smaller emirates have benefited from education, for example, they have also been able to recruit personnel to local government services that were once handled on their behalf by federal institutions. these new systems of government have not, however, replaced the traditional forms that coexist alongside. the key driver behind such developments remains performance and efficiency in the delivery of services to citizens and the expatriate population residing in the uae. traditional government traditionally, governments were always small, both in size and scope. this was natural, given the size of the communities and the difficult economic environment in which they existed. however, this environment valued consensus as well as participation, and the traditional form of such participation would exist within the context of a majlis or council. in this framework, issues relevant to the community were discussed and debated. opinions were expressed and the sheikh would take these opinions with consideration prior to taking a decision. traditionally, the ruler of an emirate the sheikh was the leader of the most powerful tribe, while each tribe, and often its sub-sections, also had a chief or sheikh. these maintained their authority only as long as they were able to retain the support of their people. this, in essence, was a form of direct democracy. part of that process was the unwritten, but strong, principle that the people should have open access to their ruler, and that he should hold a frequent and open majlis, in which his fellow citizens could voice their opinions. such a direct democracy, which may be ideally suited to small societies, becomes more difficult to maintain as the population grows. simultaneously, the increasing sophistication of government administration means 32 > uae 2010
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