The Federal National Council (FNC) (, al-Majlis al-Watani al-Ittihadi) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an advisory quasi-parliamentary body in the UAE. The FNC consists of 40 members. Twenty of the members are indirectly elected by the hand-picked 33% of Emirati citizens who have voting rights through an electoral college, while the other twenty are appointed by the rulers of each emirate. According to Reuters, "the process of selecting the people who can either elect or be elected is opaque." The first election for half the members of the FNC took place in 2006. Members of the FNC serve 4-year terms. The last election for the indirectly elected members took place on 5 October 2019, and the next election is to be held in October 2023. The FNC assembly hall is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. The National Election Committee (NEC) was established in February 2011 by the UAE Federal Supreme Council, and is chaired by the Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs. Elections are conducted by the NEC which nominates members of the electoral college. Any citizen can be selected as a member. The NEC also manages the election of FNC representatives from all the emirates. The members of the electoral college can nominate themselves to be candidates for the FNC. History The Federal National Council (FNC) was formed under the Provisional Constitution of the United Arab Emirates in 1971 as a permanent component of the country's governing structure, which also includes the Federal Supreme Council, President, Cabinet and Judiciary. Before 2006, all members of the FNC were appointed by the rulers of the emirates. According to the Constitution, federal draft laws first have to pass through the FNC for review and recommendations. Draft laws and amendments formed with the help of specialized house committees are presented to the FNC for discussion and then sent back to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. The FNC influences the Federal Government to draft laws. Original draft laws from the Cabinet can be amended by the FNC. The FNC is responsible under the Constitution for examining, and, if it wishes, amending, all proposed federal legislation, and is empowered to summon and to question any Federal Minister regarding Ministry performance. One of the main duties of the FNC is to discuss the annual budget. Specialized sub-committees and a Research and Study Unit have been formed to