From left to right: Lebanese Forces MPs Eddy Abilama, George Okais, Pierre Bou Assi and Imad Wakim, in Parliament on April 21, 2022. (Credit: al-Markaziya)
BEIRUT — The parliamentary bloc of the Lebanese Forces on Thursday presented an official request to Parliament to hold a plenary session in order to strip confidence from Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. The move came following accusations against the ministry that it intentionally "complicated" voting procedures for Lebanese expatriates ahead of the Parliamentary elections abroad, scheduled for May 6 and 8.
Here’s what we know:
• The problem of the distribution of voters abroad has been raised in recent days by Lebanese citizens living in Australia. Some have stated on social media that their assigned polling stations are sometimes several hours away, and members of the same family have been registered at separate sites. The consul general of Lebanon in Sydney, Charbel Macaron, was also accused by Lebanese Australians of modifying the electoral rolls.
• Reacting to this controversy, LF head Samir Geagea accused the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday of "complicating" the voting procedure. He also announced that he would propose a vote of confidence regarding Bou Habib.
• On Thursday, LF MPs Pierre Bou Assi (Baabda), Eddy Abiama (Metn), George Okais (Zahleh) and Imad Wakim (Beirut) have co-signed a request addressed to the Parliament speaker to submit Abdallah Bou Habib to a vote of confidence. In the text of the request, LF accused the Foreign Ministry of "attempting to limit the right of the Lebanese to vote, which is likely to threaten the smooth running of elections.”
• The text also criticized "a series of illegal and unjust measures aimed at depriving emigrants of their right to vote, such as the distribution of voters from the same family in polling stations very far from each other.”
• Bou Habib is affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement, led by Gebran Bassil, which are a rival christian party of the Lebanese Forces.