MP Bassil warns of 'political arrangement' underway to undermine expatriate voting rights

MP Gebran Bassil criticized the current government, describing it as a “government of incapacity” and claiming it cannot be trusted to safeguard the interests of Lebanese expatriates.

In a press conference, Bassil addressed Lebanese abroad, saying: “They are conspiring against you to strip away your right to participate in the upcoming elections from abroad.”

He announced that he has submitted a proposal granting expatriates an additional voting option—allowing them to choose whether to vote from abroad for diaspora representatives or for domestic parliamentary seats, through coordinated ballot boxes.

Bassil argued that the decision to cancel votes cast from abroad aims to increase the number of votes counted inside Lebanon.

He also said he possesses recordings of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea allegedly approving the electoral law in the past, accusing Geagea of “once again staging a political reversal.”

Bassil stressed that the demand for specific representation of Lebanese expatriates is an old one that he has long heard from the diaspora community.

He added that the electoral law reform has helped correct imbalances in Christian representation, asking, “Don’t the millions of Lebanese living abroad deserve six dedicated representatives?”

Bassil concluded by warning that a political arrangement is underway to undermine expatriate voting rights, despite their legal entitlement to both vote from abroad and be directly represented by one of six diaspora MPs in the next election cycle.