“List of Dishonorable Parliamentarians” List Sparks Controversy

Lebanon Today

In a recurring Lebanese political scene, politicians are racing to distribute certificates of “honor” and “dishonor,” each according to their personal interests and election timing.
Today, media and political circles are witnessing a new debate about what is known as the “Honor List Supporting Expatriate Voting,” which is the name chosen by the initiators of this move to give it a character of virtue, and to tarnish the image of its opponents by describing them as belonging to a “Dishonor List.”

But the facts, as revealed through informed sources to , reveal to everyone a reality that cannot be ignored: “The Dishonor List” is not the one that opposes today, but it is the one that set the 2017 law, which deprived expatriates of the right to vote in their electoral districts inside Lebanon, before amending it in a limited way in 2022, and then appearing today in a new guise and talking about “right, justice, and democracy.”

Whoever reviews the legislative path realizes very well that the one who drafted the law knew that it grants expatriates part of their right, and confiscates the other part, when it limited their voting to six representatives for expatriation only.
Today, these same people return to give lessons in democratic integrity, forgetting that they were the first to erect a barrier between resident Lebanon and diaspora Lebanon, and the first to differentiate between the voter inside and the voter outside.

In the details of the current events, learned that the head of the “Lebanese Forces” party: Samir Geagea, decided to enter into a direct confrontation with the Speaker of Parliament: Nabih Berri, and raised the ceiling of his speech during the past days.
According to what was leaked from the recent “Strong Republic” bloc meeting, Geagea is dealing with this file from a purely electoral perspective, with the aim of mobilizing popular support and re-mobilizing the street in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections, in an internal battle more than a legislative or national one.

In contrast, information indicates that: Berri does not pay much attention to tomorrow’s session dedicated to expatriate voting.
The president, who is accustomed to controlling the political rhythm, has not made any actual contact with his bloc or with other parliamentary forces, as if the file for him is just a “media bubble” that will end with the end of the session.

As for the bigger picture, it shows that the dispute between: Berri and Geagea does not carry any regional dimensions or external messages, but is a purely internal Lebanese conflict, reflecting a state of prior preparation for the upcoming elections, and attempts to score points in the public opinion arena through broad slogans that address emotions instead of minds.

In conclusion of this scene full of speeches and bidding wars, raises the most clear and bold question:

Who acted with integrity, and who exploited the slogan?

Is the one who wrote the 2017 law that prevented expatriates from voting in Lebanon, and selectively amended it in 2022, “honorable” or “dishonorable”?

A question addressed to those who talk today about political ethics, does anyone dare to answer in front of the Lebanese and expatriates together?