A voter inks their finger after casting a ballot in Dubai. (Credit: Reuters)
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s ambassador to Russia, Chawki Bou Nassar, said on Sunday that he would “personally accompany the ballots [cast in the overseas parliamentary elections] to Lebanon due to the unavailability of DHL,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed to L’Orient Today.
Here’s what we know:
• Bou Nassar expected that there “will be a good voter turnout in Russia, the only impediment being the long distance [voters would have to travel to get to] Moscow.” The ambassador, however, noted that the number of Lebanese expatriates does not exceed “2,500, most of them being students,” while only “323 voters registered this year.”
• Ballots cast in Russia join those cast in Iran and Syria in being accompanied by Lebanese diplomats to the country, while other overseas ballot boxes will be sent by DHL to the Beirut airport.
• On March 9, DHL announced it would suspend domestic operations in Russia and Belarus in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.