Parliament session called off as more MPs demanding expats right to vote boycott

A legislative session scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled for lack of quorum, as several lawmakers including the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb MPs boycotted the session over clashes on the electoral law.

The session was adjourned from Monday to Tuesday after clashes on the electoral law led the Kataeb and LF MPs to walk out of the session, as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri refused to put the law on the session's agenda.

Other change and independent MPs also boycotted Tuesday's session.

The current electoral law allows the Lebanese abroad to vote for six new seats but some MPs want to amend it so expatriates can vote for all 128 seats. Hezbollah argues that it cannot stage proper electoral campaigns abroad while its rivals can and prefers, with its ally Amal, to stick to the six seats.

Both parties are accusing each other of trying to delay the parliamentary elections scheduled for next spring.

Lebanese Forces MP Georges Adwan said the majority of the MPs want to amend the law and want the elections to be held on time.

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab said before the session that MPs have the right to boycott but warned against obstructing the parliament's role.

"If the legislative session is not held today, we don't know when the next one will be and all the reform laws that Parliament is discussing would be obstructed."

Adwan said "we are not boycotting to obstruct, we are boycotting to press parliament to discuss the electoral law in the session."

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil said for his part that the session is being boycotted to pressure for an amendment to the current electoral law, and warned against postponing the parliamentary elections.

He urged the government to begin taking practical steps for registering the expatriates so that they can vote in the upcoming 2026 elections.