part isan . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁Arab ▁Em ir ates ▁is ▁a ▁de ▁j ure ▁non part isan ▁author itar ian ▁state ▁since ▁all ▁political ▁parties ▁were ▁out la wed . ▁The ▁Federal ▁National ▁Council ▁( al - M aj lis ▁al - W at ani ▁al - I tt ih adi ) ▁is ▁the ▁U AE ' s ▁parliament ary ▁body ▁and ▁consists ▁of ▁ 4 0 ▁members , ▁representing ▁the ▁Em ir ates , ▁half ▁appointed ▁by ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁the ▁constitu ent ▁states ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁half ▁elected ▁to ▁serve ▁two - year ▁terms , ▁with ▁only ▁advis ory ▁tasks . ▁ ▁Political ▁parties ▁are ▁also ▁illegal ▁in ▁the ▁G ulf ▁state ▁of ▁K uw ait , ▁as ▁they ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁legal ized ▁since ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁Non eth eless , ▁the ▁constitution ▁itself ▁does ▁not ▁explicitly ▁prohib it ▁parties . ▁C andid ates ▁for ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly ▁of ▁K uw ait ▁stand ▁in ▁a ▁personal ▁capacity . ▁In ▁practice , ▁however , ▁several ▁political ▁groups ▁act ▁as ▁de ▁fact o ▁parties . ▁ ▁Lib ya ' s ▁un ic amer al ▁legisl ature , ▁the ▁General ▁National ▁Congress ▁reserved ▁ 1 2 0 ▁out ▁of ▁its ▁ 2 0 0 ▁seats ▁for ▁independent ▁polit icians ▁in ▁multiple - member ▁districts . ▁The ▁other ▁ 8 0 ▁were ▁elected ▁through ▁a ▁party ▁list ▁system ▁of ▁proportional ▁representation . ▁ ▁O man ▁does ▁not ▁allow ▁political ▁parties , ▁and ▁only ▁holds