Cabinet takes the lead on expatriate electoral voting right

At a time when the diaspora’s confidence in their national authorities was being tested, the Lebanese government demonstrated its capacity to uphold and merit that trust.

On November 6, 2025, the Council of Ministers, in a session headed by President General Joseph Aoun, approved a draft law that stipulates the suspension of the election law provisions related to the creation of District 16, which includes 6 overseas seats for expatriates. This bold decision came amid growing domestic, as well as international (from the Lebanese abroad), calls for allowing the latter to vote for all 128 Members of Parliament (MPs).

What did the Lebanese Cabinet approve?

Following the government’s session, the Minister of Information, Dr. Paul Morcos, announced that “the Council of Ministers voted on an urgent draft law which it will refer to the Parliament, stipulating the suspension of Article 112 for a single time only, according to the formula adopted in 2022, so that expatriates can vote for the 128 deputies in the 2026 elections without completely abolishing it.”

Indeed, 17 ministers voted in favor of the draft law that merged the proposed drafts of Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and Interior Minister Ahmed al-Hajjar, while all 5 Shiite ministers, including Minister Fadi Maki (allegedly not affiliated with the Amal Movement and Hezbollah), opposed it.

From here, 3 major alterations to the initial 2017 Parliamentary Elections Law (Law No. 44/2017) can be found in the Cabinet’s draft law:

Suspension of Articles 112, 121 and 122 as well as Paragraph 1 in Article 118: While Article 112 speaks about the allocation of the 6 seats abroad (equally divided between Christians and Muslims), the first paragraph of Article 118 stipulates voting abroad based on the proportional system and a single electoral district 15 days before the election date in Lebanon. As for Articles 121 and 122, they relate to how vacancies are filled in the non-resident district in case of death, resignation, or annulment of membership, as well as the addition of 6 MPs to the 128 MPs, bringing the total number to 134 deputies. In the next elections, however, the total number of 128 MPs shall be reduced by 6 seats to be taken from the same confessions to which the non-resident seats have been allocated to previously. From here, the government’s draft law aims to remove this barrier, allowing for all the diaspora to vote for all 128 MPs in their place of registration. This came as a compromise between extreme calls demanding their ultimate cancelation and reciprocal ones calling for withholding expatriates’ vote abroad (requiring them to travel in-person to their homeland to vote). Thus, the Cabinet opted for a similar decision taken in 2022, urging for the provisions’ suspension instead of their cancelation altogether.

Amendment of Paragraph 3 in Article 113: This article deals with the diaspora voter registration, setting the deadline for November 20 of the year leading up to the parliamentary elections date (this year being November 20, 2025). However, the draft law proposed by the Cabinet has extended the deadline December 31, 2025, giving additional time for the expatriates to register for the upcoming elections (especially due to the confusion and uncertainty that have engulfed the fate of their fundamental rights).

Amendment of Article 84: The latter revolves around the electronic magnetic card. Although previous government, led by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, approved a draft law in 2022 aimed at amending the law in a way that allows the adoption of the magnetic card and the mechanism of major polling stations in the upcoming parliamentary elections of 2026, this decision failed to materialize effectively. Instead, the current Cabinet decided to adopt the QR code method at major polling centers outside the electoral districts specified in Article 1, however based on a pre-registration system. This means that every voter will have the right to vote outside the electoral district in which they are registered on the electoral lists, at major polling centers, provided they apply for it in the pre-registration.

The significance of the Cabinet’s decision

Prior to the Cabinet’s sessions, leaks have reported that the postponement of the parliamentary elections or even the cancelation of the diaspora vote altogether were on the table. Some even hinted for the possible resignation of the 4 Shiite minister affiliated with the Amal-Hezbollah duo, with the fate of the 5th minister, Fadi Maki, left uncertain.

Given the pessimistic atmosphere, the government’s approval of the aforementioned draft law signals a sense of hope for preserving the expatriates’ right to vote for all 128 MPs. It comes as a promising move for Lebanese abroad (including the recent demonstrations held in Canada) who have been urging their national leaders to protect and ensure their most fundamental rights. From here, diaspora groups welcomed the Cabinet’s decision, thanking the government for responding to their call.

The issue is far from being resolved

Now that the Cabinet has taken the first step, it is up to Parliament to follow suit. It is now expected that the draft law will be referred to the House of Representatives to be placed on the agenda. This brings matters back to square one, with Speaker Nabih Berri insisting on the current law as it stands and publicly rejecting any alteration to its text, while also claiming his exclusive authority to either place it on the agenda or refer it to the subcommittee tasked with discussing the proposed election laws.

Should Berri resort to the second option, he would thereby have buried the bill in forgotten drawers, as he continuously did with the expedited urgent bill containing the same articles, presented by the Lebanese Forces (LF) and their allies.

In short, the ball is now in the parliament’s court to assume its legislative responsibilities and approve the required amendment. The struggle thus persists until the expatriates’ right to full political participation is fully established.