Ya Libnan

Lebanese expats not excited about voting in 2013 polls

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The government approved on Wednesday the logistics that will enable the Lebanese expatriates to vote in the 2013 parliamentary elections but according to Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour only 4,900 out of millions of Lebanese living outside the country have registered to vote in the 2013 polls.

The Lebanese diaspora is estimated at 12 to more than 15 million people – three to four times the internal population of Lebanon itself which is estimated at 4 million.

The expatriates have been demanding for years the right to vote in the Lebanese parliamentary elections.

The government is scheduled to hold a meeting at the Grand Serail next Wednesday to discuss the details of the logistics and ways and means to implement them, Information Minister Walid al-Daouq told reporters after the session held at the presidential palace in Baabda.

The law as approved by the government will allow the expatriates to vote through their embassies.

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17 responses to “Lebanese expats not excited about voting in 2013 polls”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Expates are looking at what happened after the last elections ….

    1. Hannibal Avatar
      Hannibal

      So true… AND the fact that we keep voting for the same people. We need fresh faces, educated, patriotic, with no allegiance to any foreign entity.

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Expates are looking at what happened after the last elections ….

    1. Hannibal Avatar
      Hannibal

      So true… AND the fact that we keep voting for the same people. We need fresh faces, educated, patriotic, with no allegiance to any foreign entity.

  3. Rafic Avatar
    Rafic

    No body from Lebanese Embassy contacted us to register so that is why around 4000 only registered,but i get the feeling that The Government does not really want for expats to vote because since 2004 I am trying to pass on Lebanese citizenship to my kids and the Gov. excuse is cause I have one letter missing from my name also the wrong month DOB till know I could not do it lawyers court etc I am hoping this year we can solve it, so what do you expect people that left 50-100 years ago their names twisted in the new country fat chance for them to become citizens cause I think one way or an other they do  not care to become citizens anyway. Also the Gov. knows those expats are more educated and democratic it will become a headache to them because it is harder for expats to swallow the BS.

    1. Hannibal Avatar
      Hannibal

      I’m with you… First I’ve heard of it. I guess the government has done it without marketing it on purpose so we expats do not register. HERE IS MY VOICE SPEAKING FOR MOST EXPATS: WE WANT TO VOTE AND VOTE YOU OUT OF YOUR SEATS YOU DESPOTS!!!!

  4. Rafic Avatar
    Rafic

    No body from Lebanese Embassy contacted us to register so that is why around 4000 only registered,but i get the feeling that The Government does not really want for expats to vote because since 2004 I am trying to pass on Lebanese citizenship to my kids and the Gov. excuse is cause I have one letter missing from my name also the wrong month DOB till know I could not do it lawyers court etc I am hoping this year we can solve it, so what do you expect people that left 50-100 years ago their names twisted in the new country fat chance for them to become citizens cause I think one way or an other they do  not care to become citizens anyway. Also the Gov. knows those expats are more educated and democratic it will become a headache to them because it is harder for expats to swallow the BS.

    1. Hannibal Avatar
      Hannibal

      I’m with you… First I’ve heard of it. I guess the government has done it without marketing it on purpose so we expats do not register. HERE IS MY VOICE SPEAKING FOR MOST EXPATS: WE WANT TO VOTE AND VOTE YOU OUT OF YOUR SEATS YOU DESPOTS!!!!

  5. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    Hi Guys, I heard a lot of this crap from the president on Friday night at the Grand Highett in Melbourne as I attended his speech. What a waste of time and effort from my behalf and I even got a parking ticket!!
    The article below written by an anonnymous Lebanese pretty much sums up the prsidents visit and I agree with 99% of it, as did 90% of Lebanese Australians.

    As an Australian of Lebanese origin, I should be feeling proud that the President of the land of my ancestors is visiting Australia. I have been searching the Australian news headlines prior to his arrival and in the first 2 days of his visit, but I have barely found 2 lines about the issue. A very expensive 2 lines of media coverage for that matter. This is why that feeling of pride one would expect just hasn’t manifested itself, as I ponder the unjustifiable costs associated with this trip.President Suleiman is in Australia, at the head of a delegation of over 80 individuals, individuals that his media advisors are telling the likes of Naharnet and other media, will assist in the development of “Bilateral cooperation”. The advisors also claim that “memorandums of understanding” (1) will be signed with the Australian government and Suleiman will also meet with prominent businessmen of Lebanese origin. They even make claims that these business people have pledged “LL40 billion of investment in Lebanon”. President Suleiman’s media advises are working hard to justify this lavish trip to Australia. For those of us who live here and are aware of the President’s actual program, you tend to chuckle deep inside at first, but that feeling quickly turns to disappointment as the costs associated with this farce are realized. We know the program, the organizations and chambers being mentioned. To us most of them are like hamburgers without meat, like members of the Tabouli society (A phrase used to describe something or someone superficially pleasing but without real substance).Whilst there where actual new agreements with Australia, including $1 million dollars from the Australian government for de-mining activities in the South and training placements for Lebanese soldiers in Australia, one still tends to ask the question why didn’t the President come with only a small number of accompanying guests. Had the number of guests been reduced down to 10 for example; could the savings not have been used to fund de-mining activities in the South? It would seem that President Suleiman is one of the most travelled Presidents in Lebanon’s history. International trips are regular and not unusual, what is unjustifiable however is the great number of people that tag along in what seems to be an exercise of, at best, “tibyeed al Wij (translates as ‘face whitening’ – meaning an attempt to impress) – as the Lebanese say”, or at worst, a form of electioneering paid for by Lebanese taxpayers. This expensive, lavish and unjustifiable trip comes at a great expense to the Lebanese treasury and the people of Lebanon as a whole. The costs of flying 80 people to Australia, their internal costs such as travel and accommodation, the costs of the lavish banquets hosted by the Lebanese Embassy and consulates at 5 star hotels around the country – please explain how they can possibly be justified in a scenario where the Lebanese government runs massive annual budget deficits and fails to provide basic services to the population due to the lack of funds.Would this money not have been better spent had it been used to promote Lebanese businesses to the Australian market? For the financial year 2010-2011, Lebanon’s total exports to Australia amounted to a sum of $13 Million dollars. The government could have spent the travel monies associated with this lavish first class travel festival on the promotion of Lebanese export business such as the Plastic Packaging industry, the jewelry industry the wine industry or the processed foods industry. The President could have come as the head of a trade delegation comprised of a reasonable numbers of delegates. If one adds up the costs associated with this trip and the costs of the many other similar trips that have occurred in the past 4 years that Michel Suleiman has held the office of President, the huge sums of money at stake could have gone a long way towards covering some of the costs of the many underfunded Lebanese government hospitals and schools. The money could have paid for the costs of snake bite anti-venom for many years, a basic medicine missing from most Lebanese hospitals despite the high number of snake bite victims every summer.Frivolous trips by Lebanese Presidents, accompanied by a large number of guests are nothing new, with many Lebanese Presidents having indulged in this practice in the past. The difference is that Michel Suleiman promised us he would be different when it came to protecting the Lebanese purse. Lebanon, with all of its financial problems and the lack of funding to provide its people with some of the most basic services, can hardly afford the costs associated with the delegation that accompanies the President. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that had the situation been reversed and had it been the Prime Minister of Australia, embarking on an official overseas visit, accompanied by a delegation of 80 people, the Australia media would have torn her to pieces and we would have had a scandal on our hands. There is no doubt that the Lebanese media has a role to play here. The editors of Lebanon’s major newspapers don’t seem to have any issue with the way government funds are being spent on these trips, and neither do the Television news departments. Why should they? After all their getting a free trip too!For the sake of the Lebanese, Michel Suleiman’s advisors need to give us more information. They need to tell us what “bilateral agreements” are being signed, the names of all those going for the ride, and the costs associated with this trip on the “gravy train” as the Australians would say.

    1. antar2011 Avatar
      antar2011

      i agree 100%

      not all lebanese australians knew how to get those tickets to see the president…i was one of them…perhaps i did not care…

      but lets look at it positively, this visit made the president rush back to lebanon and start quickly on the issue of elections from lebanese living abroad.

  6. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    Hi Guys, I heard a lot of this crap from the president on Friday night at the Grand Highett in Melbourne as I attended his speech. What a waste of time and effort from my behalf and I even got a parking ticket!!
    The article below written by an anonnymous Lebanese pretty much sums up the prsidents visit and I agree with 99% of it, as did 90% of Lebanese Australians.

    As an Australian of Lebanese origin, I should be feeling proud that the President of the land of my ancestors is visiting Australia. I have been searching the Australian news headlines prior to his arrival and in the first 2 days of his visit, but I have barely found 2 lines about the issue. A very expensive 2 lines of media coverage for that matter. This is why that feeling of pride one would expect just hasn’t manifested itself, as I ponder the unjustifiable costs associated with this trip.President Suleiman is in Australia, at the head of a delegation of over 80 individuals, individuals that his media advisors are telling the likes of Naharnet and other media, will assist in the development of “Bilateral cooperation”. The advisors also claim that “memorandums of understanding” (1) will be signed with the Australian government and Suleiman will also meet with prominent businessmen of Lebanese origin. They even make claims that these business people have pledged “LL40 billion of investment in Lebanon”. President Suleiman’s media advises are working hard to justify this lavish trip to Australia. For those of us who live here and are aware of the President’s actual program, you tend to chuckle deep inside at first, but that feeling quickly turns to disappointment as the costs associated with this farce are realized. We know the program, the organizations and chambers being mentioned. To us most of them are like hamburgers without meat, like members of the Tabouli society (A phrase used to describe something or someone superficially pleasing but without real substance).Whilst there where actual new agreements with Australia, including $1 million dollars from the Australian government for de-mining activities in the South and training placements for Lebanese soldiers in Australia, one still tends to ask the question why didn’t the President come with only a small number of accompanying guests. Had the number of guests been reduced down to 10 for example; could the savings not have been used to fund de-mining activities in the South? It would seem that President Suleiman is one of the most travelled Presidents in Lebanon’s history. International trips are regular and not unusual, what is unjustifiable however is the great number of people that tag along in what seems to be an exercise of, at best, “tibyeed al Wij (translates as ‘face whitening’ – meaning an attempt to impress) – as the Lebanese say”, or at worst, a form of electioneering paid for by Lebanese taxpayers. This expensive, lavish and unjustifiable trip comes at a great expense to the Lebanese treasury and the people of Lebanon as a whole. The costs of flying 80 people to Australia, their internal costs such as travel and accommodation, the costs of the lavish banquets hosted by the Lebanese Embassy and consulates at 5 star hotels around the country – please explain how they can possibly be justified in a scenario where the Lebanese government runs massive annual budget deficits and fails to provide basic services to the population due to the lack of funds.Would this money not have been better spent had it been used to promote Lebanese businesses to the Australian market? For the financial year 2010-2011, Lebanon’s total exports to Australia amounted to a sum of $13 Million dollars. The government could have spent the travel monies associated with this lavish first class travel festival on the promotion of Lebanese export business such as the Plastic Packaging industry, the jewelry industry the wine industry or the processed foods industry. The President could have come as the head of a trade delegation comprised of a reasonable numbers of delegates. If one adds up the costs associated with this trip and the costs of the many other similar trips that have occurred in the past 4 years that Michel Suleiman has held the office of President, the huge sums of money at stake could have gone a long way towards covering some of the costs of the many underfunded Lebanese government hospitals and schools. The money could have paid for the costs of snake bite anti-venom for many years, a basic medicine missing from most Lebanese hospitals despite the high number of snake bite victims every summer.Frivolous trips by Lebanese Presidents, accompanied by a large number of guests are nothing new, with many Lebanese Presidents having indulged in this practice in the past. The difference is that Michel Suleiman promised us he would be different when it came to protecting the Lebanese purse. Lebanon, with all of its financial problems and the lack of funding to provide its people with some of the most basic services, can hardly afford the costs associated with the delegation that accompanies the President. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that had the situation been reversed and had it been the Prime Minister of Australia, embarking on an official overseas visit, accompanied by a delegation of 80 people, the Australia media would have torn her to pieces and we would have had a scandal on our hands. There is no doubt that the Lebanese media has a role to play here. The editors of Lebanon’s major newspapers don’t seem to have any issue with the way government funds are being spent on these trips, and neither do the Television news departments. Why should they? After all their getting a free trip too!For the sake of the Lebanese, Michel Suleiman’s advisors need to give us more information. They need to tell us what “bilateral agreements” are being signed, the names of all those going for the ride, and the costs associated with this trip on the “gravy train” as the Australians would say.

    1. antar2011 Avatar
      antar2011

      i agree 100%

      not all lebanese australians knew how to get those tickets to see the president…i was one of them…perhaps i did not care…

      but lets look at it positively, this visit made the president rush back to lebanon and start quickly on the issue of elections from lebanese living abroad.

  7. antar2011 Avatar
    antar2011

    i am happy that we may have a chance i voting for th enext lebanese election while living outside lebanon and some of you here saying that we make our choices different then the normal procedure and motivations then the ones made by many lebanese living in lebanon…even if that is in some way true but i do not see it as real because believe it or not not many lebanese living outside lebanon care about the lebanese politics but if they do they do not know aythig about the candidates for the election other then what their relatives tell them…so in a way they will be voting for the same person their relatives are….that’s if they cared enough for voting.
    unless the candidates made it their objectives during the election campagi to visit overseas and talk tot he voters…and i don’t see this hapening and if it does then certainly not all the way here in australia. 

  8. antar2011 Avatar
    antar2011

    i am happy that we may have a chance i voting for th enext lebanese election while living outside lebanon and some of you here saying that we make our choices different then the normal procedure and motivations then the ones made by many lebanese living in lebanon…even if that is in some way true but i do not see it as real because believe it or not not many lebanese living outside lebanon care about the lebanese politics but if they do they do not know aythig about the candidates for the election other then what their relatives tell them…so in a way they will be voting for the same person their relatives are….that’s if they cared enough for voting.
    unless the candidates made it their objectives during the election campagi to visit overseas and talk tot he voters…and i don’t see this hapening and if it does then certainly not all the way here in australia. 

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