Suleiman Meets Mansour: It’s Natural for Expatriates to Vote in 2013 Elections
President Michel Suleiman noted on Monday that French citizens of Lebanese heritage practiced their right to vote in France’s presidential election on Sunday.
He therefore said that “it is only natural for Lebanese expatriates to vote in the 2013 parliamentary elections.”
He hoped that “serious discussion and efforts” would kick off over the adoption of an electoral law in order for “the necessary preparations for the law and the voting of expatriates to get underway.”
To this end, the president held talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on allowing expatriates to vote.
Suleiman stressed the importance of filling diplomatic vacancies in order to prepare embassies and consulates for the elections.
The minister had revealed to As Safir newspaper Monday that the mechanism allowing Lebanese expatriates to vote in the upcoming 2013 elections has been drafted and referred to the cabinet.
The Foreign Ministry had finished the proposal eight months ago and is still waiting for the cabinet to tackle the issue, said Mansour.
“There are no obstacles facing the participation of Lebanese expats in the 2013 parliamentary elections,” he later told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).
The minister told As Safir that the draft law includes an integrated, non-complicated mechanism that would enable the Lebanese expatriates to vote in the 2013 polls.
He urged the cabinet to include the draft law on the agenda of the upcoming session in order to allow the expatriates to know what they should do to be able to vote.
For his part, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said in comments to VDL that the cabinet must swiftly adopt a draft law concerning the vote of Lebanese expats in order to complete all the necessary preparations.
Prime Minister Najib Miqati told As Safir that Wednesday’s cabinet session will discuss the participation of Lebanese expats in the 2013 polls.
Lebanese officials are exerting efforts in order to formulate an electoral draft law that ensures a sound parliamentary representation of sects.
However, there’s no agreement yet over the issue.
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