Mansour Says Lebanese Expatriates to Participate in 2013 Elections

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour stressed on Saturday that the Lebanese expats “without doubt” will be able to cast their ballots in the upcoming 2013 parliamentary elections.

“Even if they turnout in small numbers they will be able to vote,” Mansour said in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).

He described the issue as “very important” as it would be a starting point and the base of a wider participation in 2017.

The March 8 majority alliance and the March 14 opposition have been trading accusations on seeking to postpone the elections and holding onto the winner-takes-all system of the 1960 law.

The cabinet's electoral bill that has set 13 districts and is based on proportional representation faced a deadlock in parliament after the March 14 alliance rejected it.

Discussions on several other draft-laws in parliament also stalled in October after the opposition boycotted all legislative and government related activity in the aftermath of the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch chief Wissam al-Hasan.

The coalition has also set the government's resignation as a precondition for attending the all-party talks with March 8 at Baabda palace.

Comments 14
Thumb arzak-ya-libnan 29 December 2012, 18:20

phonix.. this is a b.s. law.. and does not take into consideration the true political weight of the lebanese diaspora .. in fact far from it.
not to mention that the foreign ministry has not even made a serious attempt as to the mechanisms of the expatriates voting.

Thumb arzak-ya-libnan 29 December 2012, 18:21

i agree that in some ways something is better than nothing.. but im not going to go crazy over crumbs.

Thumb geha 29 December 2012, 19:30

no phoenix.
as long as expats cannot elect as we do, this is BS.
hizbushaitan is just giving up apparently while effectively this is nothing:
- 6 MP for expats to be divided on sects.
- this means the real representation of expats is not there.
the real representation will switch the numbers of Christians and sunnis favorably to balance those of the shia, and they know it.
it is no secret there are hundreds of thousands of Christians and Sunnis abroad.

Thumb arzak-ya-libnan 29 December 2012, 19:42

Phoenix.. i am talking about the law itself.. giving 6 seats to the expats is horse dung.. add to that the fact that they are not allowing the expats to vote in their qadaa.. while adding 6 seats to the total number of seats in parliament makes this a bogus law.. i am a huge advocate of Michel Sluiman.. but this law does no favors nor shows the true numbers behind the expats and their choices.

Thumb arzak-ya-libnan 29 December 2012, 19:43

not to mention more organized and capable countries have needed more time to put the correct mechanisms in place.. i doubt there is a true will from one or more sides for the expat voting to really take place.

Missing phillipo 29 December 2012, 18:26

Just so that I can understand, are the children and grandchildren of Lebanese emigrants who left the country 50 years ago Lebanese citizens who can vote in these elections even though they may never have stepped foot in the country?

Thumb arzak-ya-libnan 29 December 2012, 18:44

anybody who left however long ago can still obtain his/her lebanese citizenship... once they do.. they can vote.

Thumb geha 29 December 2012, 19:31

unfortunately several people tried that path but the foreign ministry is not responding properly.

Missing phillipo 30 December 2012, 18:24

How strange people are. Even when I ask a question to fully understand the electoral situation in Lebanon, there is someone who will give it a thumbs down.

Missing gabby12 29 December 2012, 18:41

2013 is in 3 days. Is Mansour the retard that organized to have this set up? Will his Hezz masters allow this? I hope so but.......

Thumb primesuspect 29 December 2012, 21:20

Anta man sour? La, Ana looser man Dahye

Missing broumanapride 29 December 2012, 23:25

It's so sad to see what Lebanon has come to ... Mansour as FM? What a joke. He along with his boss Berri need to get a job where they can add some value. The Lebanese deserve that!

Thumb LebDinosaur 30 December 2012, 00:12

This guy is a real joke. What a circus this government has become- from bad to worse.

Default-user-icon Binar (Guest) 30 December 2012, 14:26

where does one if you are nowhere close to an embassy or consulate???and if you vote by mail how would you know your vote is going to count and not end up high jacked ???