LF, allies to boycott legislative session; Amal, Hezbollah MPs visit Aoun
The Lebanese Forces-led Strong Republic parliamentary bloc has announced its boycott of Tuesday’s legislative session, warning that participation in it would reflect “submission to Speaker Nabih Berri’s hegemony over parliament.”
“It would be a cover-up for a constitutional and ethical crime against hundreds of thousands of Lebanese expats who are facing an attempt to deprive them of their right to contribute to changing the situations through ballot boxes,” the LF bloc said.
Other lawmakers allied with the LF have also announced their boycott of the session.
A delegation comprised of Hezbollah and Amal Movement lawmakers and MP Jihad al-Samad meanwhile visited the Baabda Palace and met with President Joseph Aoun.
“We discussed with the president the electoral law that had enjoyed unanimity and was considered an achievement at its time. We told him that there are segments who cannot perform their role, which impedes the most important principle, which is equal opportunity,” MP Ali Hassan Khalil said after the talks.
“We are keen on holding the elections on time and we hope the government will take into account that this matter would lead to a major national rift when it discussed the (draft) law” submitted by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji that would allow expats to vote for 128 MPs, Khalil added.
“Speaker Berri is keen on parliament and tomorrow we will see who is obstructing parliament’s work,” he said.
Aoun for his part said what is important is for the elections to be held on time, adding that Lebanese expats have the right to take part in the Lebanese political life.
"Based on my respect for the separation of powers, I consider that it is up to parliament to decide, but expats have a right that we should respect," the president added.
Aoun had stressed Wednesday the need to hold the parliamentary elections on time, adding that the participation of expats is a must.
Aoun's comments came amid tensions over the current electoral law which only allows expats to vote for six newly-introduced seats in parliament. Sixty-five MPs, including those of the LF and allies, are meanwhile demanding to amend the law in order to allow expats to vote for all 128 seats.
Hezbollah and Amal argue that they do not enjoy the same campaigning freedom that other parties enjoy abroad and are objecting against the possible amendment.
The six-seat system had been suspended in the 2018 and 2022 elections and expats were allowed to vote for the 128 MPs, each according to their registered electoral district.
27 October 2025, 15:16
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when racists lie ↴
Letter to the editor: Gaining civil rights for Shias should be top priority
Posted February 5, 2015
Noam Chomsky says that Shias are the majority of Lebanon’s population, such that, if free elections were held and if Shias threw all their support to Hezbollah, it could form the government entirely on its own. Yet Article 24 of the Lebanese Constitution reserves half of parliamentary seats for Christians, who number, by my own guess, around a quarter of the population.
Here, in a nutshell, you have the Shia sense of grievance that makes Hezbollah so dynamic a force in politics, and yet also the solution to two problems.
Hezbollah militancy and Lebanese political instability would both be ameliorated if Hezbollah put its main effort into gaining civil rights and political representation for Lebanon’s Shias – and the U.S. could be on the right side of history by aiding that cause.
So go ahead and tell me why not, please.
Christopher C. Rushlau
