Boycott vs. Attendance: Will the Legislative Session Quorum of 68 Deputies Be Completed Tomorrow?

لبنان اليوم

The Lebanese political arena is witnessing a state of anticipation and division, with the approach of the legislative session called for by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
This division comes against the backdrop of escalating disputes over the proposed amendment to the expatriate voting law, which some parliamentary blocs are demanding be included on the agenda urgently.
This file is considered one of the sensitive issues at the moment, as some political forces see it as a threat to future electoral balances, while others consider it a necessary step to enhance the right of Lebanese expatriates to participate effectively in the democratic process.

Eyes are turning tomorrow to Nejmeh Square, where President Berri has scheduled a session to discuss ten draft laws remaining from the agenda of the previous session.
However, the deep division between the parliamentary blocs remains, raising questions about the fate of the session and the proposed laws.

### Who Will Boycott the Session and Who Will Participate?

According to information, the parliamentary blocs that have decided to boycott the session are: the Strong Republic Bloc, the Lebanese Kataeb Party, the Change Alliance, which includes MPs: Michel Douaihy, Wadah Sadek, Marc Daou, and Rami Fanj, the Renewal Bloc, which includes MPs: Michel Moawad, Fouad Makhzoumi, and Ashraf Rifi, and a group of independent MPs: Neemat Frem, Jamil Abboud, Adeeb Abdel Massih, Michel Daher, and Ghassan Skaff.

In a notable position, the Change MPs: Paula Yacoubian, Ibrahim Mneimneh, Najat Aoun Saliba, Charbel Massaad, Firas Hamdan, Yassine Yassine, and Cynthia Zarazir, announced their initial boycott of the session, noting that their participation remains possible if the legal quorum is secured regardless of their participation.

In contrast, the following blocs have announced their full participation in the session: the Development and Liberation Bloc, the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, the Free Patriotic Movement, the National Accord Bloc (Adnan Traboulsi, Hassan Murad, Faisal Karami, Mohammad Yahya, Taha Naji), the Parliamentary Consultative Gathering (Elias Bou Saab, Alain Aoun, Ibrahim Kanaan, and Simon Abi Ramia, who is abroad and therefore will not participate), the Independent National Bloc (William Tawk, Tony Frangieh, Farid El Khazen).

As for the Democratic Gathering, it confirmed its participation based on its belief that legislation is a “national necessity” and in rejection of “paralyzing institutions,” while emphasizing that it will express its support for amending the expatriate voting law from within the session.

A number of independent MPs will also attend the session, namely: Jihad Al-Samad, Jamil Al-Sayed, Bilal Al-Hashimi, Elias Jaradi, and Imad Al-Hout.

Regarding the National Moderation Bloc, its members have decided to participate partially, with some attending and others boycotting.
MP Walid Baarini announced his participation, stressing the need to amend the law to guarantee the right of expatriates to vote.

### Attempts to Secure a Quorum

It is learned that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has intervened in an attempt to secure a quorum, as he made contacts with a number of Sunni MPs to encourage them to participate, in order to avoid any disruption that may negatively affect the work of his government and the proposed draft laws.

Regarding the Armenian MPs, MP Hagop Terzian will not be able to participate for health reasons, while MP Hagop Pakradounian is outside Lebanon.

Estimates indicate that the number of MPs who have confirmed their attendance is 68, which increases the chances of a quorum being reached and opening the door for the session to be held on schedule.

Parliamentary sources confirm the possibility of securing a quorum, considering that the Speaker of Parliament would not have called for the session if he was not sure of it.
The sources believe that the Forces and its allies are proving once again that they are disruptive forces for the affairs of the Lebanese, stressing that the boycott will not contribute to including the project on the agenda of the session, while opposition from within the session may achieve some results.