Lebanese Expats Feel Underrepresented in Next Parliamentary Elections
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The body that represents the Lebanese diaspora criticized the government on Wednesday for failing to allow millions of expatriates to have the right representation in parliament.
President of the World Lebanese Cultural Union Michel El Douaihy told An Nahar daily that there are around 12-15 million Lebanese expatriates, which means four or five times more than the number of Lebanese residing in the country.
The expats hold onto their voting rights in the next parliamentary elections more than anything else, he said.
El Douaihy’s comment came a day after the government approved an electoral draft-law that allows the expats to vote only for 6 candidates divided equally between Christians and Muslims.
This decision increased the number of parliamentarians to 134. But the draft-law is yet to be approved by the parliament where it is likely to face strong opposition.
“The Cultural Union calls for the number of MPs to be in harmony with the huge number of expats” in the world, the union’s president said.
“We can’t accept an appeasement,” he told An Nahar, stressing there are around 200,000 Lebanese residing in Africa and another 200,000 in Europe, which each should be represented by around 2 MPs.
As for the United States and Canada, they should at least get 6 lawmakers, he said. Australia should be represented by 4 while Brazil’s expats should be allowed to have 10 MPs and Latin America another 6.
Despite El Douaihy’s objections, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel praised the approval of the draft-law as an “achievement” and a “white revolution that we hope would be ended by parliament’s approval.”
He told As Safir newspaper, that he would discuss with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour the mechanism that would allow the expats to vote and ways to prevent the same person from casting his ballot twice.
08 August 2012, 11:59
11
Christian vote is mostly expat vote, and since they are Lebanese, these should be able to vote with the same priviliges of the residents.
hizbushaitan and their followers are afraid from the expat vote, thus they are trying to reduce its effect as much as possible.
the problem is they think they will be able to impose such a law :)
08 August 2012, 13:49
01
M14 couldn't even approve any law since 2005 because 1/3 of the ministers would walk away or if by any chance a law passes through to parliament, Berri would close "HIS" doors... Funny what people choose to look at! this is not ignorance ya FT...not even stupidity...
08 August 2012, 13:55
13
for once i want to see u say something bad about hezb allah... it seems to you they are truely gods angels on earth.
08 August 2012, 19:42
03
There is no limit to your stupidity. First of all, the placement of the picture of the Saudi king was not sanctioned by the M14 leadership. Secondly, if you wanna make a comparison, go back and count the number of posters of Assad that were present on March 8, one week earlier. You can add the number of posters of Assad seen on May 7, 2008. And then add the numbers of posters of Khomeni in a quick tour of Dahiye and the south, and multiply times the number of days they have been on display. If you are measuring poster-exposure-days, M8 has M14 outnumbered by at least 8675309%.
And lastly, if you call taking off your tie "stripping", then you really need to get out of your parents basement in Tehran and go get some worldly education.
08 August 2012, 15:06
12
Amal, Hizb and Aoun are terrified from the expat vote...it's obvious, just look at the actions of the so called Lebanese foreign minister that belongs to Amal...
08 August 2012, 15:18
50
I am sorry to say that I disagree with the supporters of expat voting.
How can a/my Member of Parliament truly represent me when I am not living in the country?
Living abroad, and it makes no difference where inmost cases, I couldn't care less if Income Tax or VAT go up, if the government decides on compulsary national service, etc.
Apart from that what percentage of expats also hold the nationality of the country they are living in?
So, unless I am outside the country on government business (in embassies etc) I shouldn't be able to vote.
08 August 2012, 18:37
13
every Lebanese has the right to vote, what is this crap you are pulling?
are US, European, and LIBYAN citizens wrong in doing so? you are brain dead apparently to even think that.
09 August 2012, 08:09
00
Sorry old chap, I'm not brain dead.
But as also being a British citizen I have no right of vote when I am living abroad.
08 August 2012, 16:14
10
This is absurd. why would someone not living in the country be represented in the parliament separately? how would you ensure that the interests of Lebanon lie first if say half the members of parliament didn't even live there! this is obviously hypothetical as members of parliament in this country will only care for themselves regardless of who elects them
08 August 2012, 16:31
02
i dont usually comment on you silly convos.. but here is my 2 cents: 2st dancing in front of the saudi kings pic in martyr square you speak of was placed on a building owned by the arslan family.. you say you are neutral.. but again like others mentioned you decide to twist the facts to suit your idea/ideologies. second and about the electoral law.. m14 have been trying to do something for a long time and was constantly blocked by m8. and then what did m8 do? ok we will give them 6 mps??? why doesnt every expat vote in their qada2? and his/her vote makes a difference? lets not sugar coat this.. and stop acting like you are neutral.. be brave and say that you believe every word that comes out of any m8 offical.. dont worry.. lots who are the same with m14.
