The FPM accepts expatriate candidacies for District 16

BEIRUT — The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) announced Friday that it is now accepting applications from expatriates wishing to be included on its lists in the 16th district, following the opening of voter registration for Lebanese abroad ahead of the May 2026 parliamentary elections.

However, it remains unclear whether expatriates will vote for all 128 members of parliament, or only for a dedicated 16th district, a question that deeply divides the political class and fuels concerns about a possible postponement of the polls.

"With the opening of registration for Lebanese abroad for the upcoming parliamentary elections, we are starting to receive applications for candidacy on our lists for District 16 of the elections scheduled for spring 2026 on the following continents: Australia, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Europe," the FPM said on its official website.

Created by the 2017 electoral law, the 16th district allocated six seats to Lebanese expatriates, distributed by continent and main religious denomination. Expatriates were to vote specifically in this district, rather than participate in the vote within their original districts. However, this provision was suspended for the following parliamentary elections.

Today, MPs are split between those urging an amendment to the 2017 electoral law to guarantee the Lebanese diaspora the right to vote for all 128 lawmakers in their original districts, and those, like the FPM and the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, who oppose this, preferring to maintain Article 112 of the law, which calls for the creation of a dedicated district for expatriates, the 16th, limited to six seats.