Page 427 - UAE Truncal States

Chapter Nine

a federalistic as opposed lo a cenlralistic Slate were rejected as
unconstitutional, rash and ill-timed by some Emirates’ governments,
in particular Dubai. After an inconclusive debate the Supreme
Council decided on 20 March 1979 to defer for a week a decision on
the suggestions of the memorandum, but at the Supreme Council
meeting on 27 March in Abu Dhabi the Rulers of Dubai and Ra’s al
Khaimah were demonstratively absent.107 Predictably no decisions
concerning the federation could be made during two days of talks.
Dubai chose to comment on the joint memorandum in a lengthy
statement signed by the Ruler, Shaikh Rashid, and submitted to the
Supreme Council’s second meeting. In essence this statement was
just as adamant in its dedication to the search for unity within the
Federation as was the joint memorandum.160 But they differed
considerably in the means they envisaged lo the same end. By and
large Dubai favoured unification of services to the population where
this promised the best results, but otherwise advocated that, because
conditions had been different in the various regions of the UAE in the
past, an attempt to unify these prematurely would not bring the
expected result of belter and more equitable conditions throughout
the country. Dubai’s view is probably closer to the German under­
standing of the federal principle, in which the authority of the centre
should not be more than the sum total of all the member authorities
and where constitutional attention is constantly focused on safe­
guarding the federal elements vis-a-vis the inevitable centralising
tendencies of the federal government.
This constitutional crisis coincided with the discussions of
sanctions against Egypt, with the declaration of an Islamic Republic
in Iran, and with the execution in Pakistan of former President
Bhutto, a frequent visitor to Gulf countries. Thus the attention of the
decision-makers was divided, but even in a less tense political
climate abroad fundamental issues at home would not have been
tackled without the usual rounds of discussions and the invitation of
an outside mediator, in this instance the Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister of Kuwait, Shaikh Sabah al Ahmad al Jabir Al
Sabah. The result was the dissolution of the cabinet on 26 April and
the announcement that Shaikh Rashid bin Sa'fd would form the next
cabinet.169 This cabinet was presented on 1 July 1979 and in the event
contained only four changes. The process of forming this cabinet
involved a good many compromises, most of which were, however,
reached between the members of the Supreme Council, who were still

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