Lebanese President and MPs voice their support for diaspora electoral right

A meeting was held between the Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun and a delegation of Members of Parliament (MPs) from notable and significant parliamentary blocs.

These deputies, representing the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb parties along with various independent MPs (such as Michel Mouwad, Waddah Sadek, Marc Daou and Michel Douwaihe), have previously signed the expatriate voting bill proposal (which aims to ensure diaspora’s right to vote for all 128 MPs by canceling the 6-seats provision in the 2017 electoral law).

According to a statement released by the Lebanese Presidency on the X platform, the MPs requested that the President “ask the government to prepare an expedited bill and refer it by decree to the House of Representatives, in order to correct the existing flaw regarding the election of Lebanese citizens living abroad.” They believe it to be of vital necessity to preserve this fundamental right for the expatriates and permit them to play an active role in their own homeland.

For his part, President Joseph Aoun assured the delegation of 2 fundamental principles that he is keen to uphold. The first is effectively holding the 2026 parliamentary elections on time (meaning in May 2026), while the second is ensuring the participatory role of the diaspora in the Lebanese political decisions through their voting rights.