Ya Libnan

Gemayel smells a rat, urges expats not to register to vote

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Phalange party bloc MP Sami Gemayel urged on Thursday the Lebanese expatriates not to register their names at Lebanese embassies in order to participate in the upcoming 2013 parliamentary elections “because we fear that there might be a game behind [the proposed logistics for expatriate voting].”

His statement comes after the cabinet on Wednesday approved the Foreign Ministry’s proposal allowing Lebanese citizens living abroad to vote.

Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour said Wednesday during the cabinet meeting that 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. Brazil alone is the home for 6- 8 million Lebanese .

Gemayel told LBC television that “the proposed mechanism regarding expatriate voting completely differentiates between the way expatriates vote and the way local citizens do, because it forces expatriates to elect a specific list of MPs.”

“We tell expatriates not to register [their names], because we are afraid that there be a game behind this.” He stressed

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26 responses to “Gemayel smells a rat, urges expats not to register to vote”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Hmmmm … I’d believe anything. Probably want to know who’s blogging on here too. 🙂 hehehehe

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Hmmmm … I’d believe anything. Probably want to know who’s blogging on here too. 🙂 hehehehe

  3. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Hmmmm … I’d believe anything. Probably want to know who’s blogging on here too. 🙂 hehehehe

  4. MeYosemite Avatar
    MeYosemite

    We smell a rat also. Suleiman visit to Australia has registered kangaroos instead.

  5. MeYosemite Avatar
    MeYosemite

    We smell a rat also. Suleiman visit to Australia has registered kangaroos instead.

  6. antar2011 Avatar
    antar2011

    i guess everything this shameful lebanese govt does has ulterior motives but i don’t understand how will oue votes be taken advantage of when we are not living in lebanon. after all, each party would have their representatives on the ballot paper right? or am i simplicising it?

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Antar. If you live in Lebanon, you may know if the person you vote for is competent. You may know him or what he thinks. You might think he represents your thinking. You might simply vote ‘party’ even if the guy is a jerk, but you think there will be a balance with someone smarter because you love the party-line. At least you’re close to ‘the action’.
      If you live 8000 miles away, and they hand you a list of names of who is running … what do you know if you haven’t been following what was said very closely. Do we assume you get all the news there is to know where you live now?
      Many people pick politicians like they do race-horses. They like the name. (The track always wins)
      Others simply vote for a party – without really knowing what kind of dunderhead is running it.
      People will say ‘Oh I can vote for over there now.’ and I’ll wager most have been disconnected for so long they really don’t care – just make an ‘X’ because they can. Some will phone cousin Fadi who they send money to each month and ask what he likes, but does it really matter to them? No … they are safe and sound and happy … and cousin Fadi has gone bonkers.
      Who is making the list and checking it twice?
      And consider … who did they vote for in Brazil??
      I think the idea is stupid.
      Greek ‘parties’ fly people home to vote (cheap visit to relatives every few years) and hand you the list of WHO to vote for when you get off the plane (or boat). You go do it, get the return ticket, then have 3 days with the cousins. Look how that country is working lately ….

      1. antar2011 Avatar
        antar2011

        actually 5th, after watching yesterday’s episode of “beirut el yawm’ on MTV, it’s even more confusing now…..nobody now knows what is the process of voting for pple living abroad…what with the mixing up of cut off dates for registration, unknown voting booth’s location, mixing up of required IDS…but most important of all….the govt has not decided if th elebanese living aborad would have the same list of candidates as those living in lebanese…they are thinking of having a seperate list of candidates for lebanese living abroad only…..

        in short it’s a shamozall!

    2. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Antar. If you live in Lebanon, you may know if the person you vote for is competent. You may know him or what he thinks. You might think he represents your thinking. You might simply vote ‘party’ even if the guy is a jerk, but you think there will be a balance with someone smarter because you love the party-line. At least you’re close to ‘the action’.
      If you live 8000 miles away, and they hand you a list of names of who is running … what do you know if you haven’t been following what was said very closely. Do we assume you get all the news there is to know where you live now?
      Many people pick politicians like they do race-horses. They like the name. (The track always wins)
      Others simply vote for a party – without really knowing what kind of dunderhead is running it.
      People will say ‘Oh I can vote for over there now.’ and I’ll wager most have been disconnected for so long they really don’t care – just make an ‘X’ because they can. Some will phone cousin Fadi who they send money to each month and ask what he likes, but does it really matter to them? No … they are safe and sound and happy … and cousin Fadi has gone bonkers.
      Who is making the list and checking it twice?
      And consider … who did they vote for in Brazil??
      I think the idea is stupid.
      Greek ‘parties’ fly people home to vote (cheap visit to relatives every few years) and hand you the list of WHO to vote for when you get off the plane (or boat). You go do it, get the return ticket, then have 3 days with the cousins. Look how that country is working lately ….

      1. antar2011 Avatar
        antar2011

        actually 5th, after watching yesterday’s episode of “beirut el yawm’ on MTV, it’s even more confusing now…..nobody now knows what is the process of voting for pple living abroad…what with the mixing up of cut off dates for registration, unknown voting booth’s location, mixing up of required IDS…but most important of all….the govt has not decided if th elebanese living aborad would have the same list of candidates as those living in lebanese…they are thinking of having a seperate list of candidates for lebanese living abroad only…..

        in short it’s a shamozall!

  7. antar2011 Avatar
    antar2011

    i guess everything this shameful lebanese govt does has ulterior motives but i don’t understand how will oue votes be taken advantage of when we are not living in lebanon. after all, each party would have their representatives on the ballot paper right? or am i simplicising it?

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Antar. If you live in Lebanon, you may know if the person you vote for is competent. You may know him or what he thinks. You might think he represents your thinking. You might simply vote ‘party’ even if the guy is a jerk, but you think there will be a balance with someone smarter because you love the party-line. At least you’re close to ‘the action’.
      If you live 8000 miles away, and they hand you a list of names of who is running … what do you know if you haven’t been following what was said very closely. Do we assume you get all the news there is to know where you live now?
      Many people pick politicians like they do race-horses. They like the name.
      Others simply vote for a party – without really knowing what kind of dunderhead is running it.
      People will say ‘Oh I can vote for over there now.’ and I’ll wager most have been disconnected for so long they really don’t care – just make an ‘X’ because they can. Some will phone cousin Fadi who they send money to each month and ask what he likes, but does it really matter to them? No … they are safe and sound and happy … and cousin Fadi has gone bonkers.
      Who is making the list and checking it twice?
      And consider … who did they vote for in Brazil??
      I think the idea is stupid.
      Greek ‘parties’ fly people home to vote (cheap visit to relatives every few years) and hand you the list of WHO to vote for when you get off the plane (or boat). You go do it, get the return ticket, then have 3 days with the cousins. Look how that country is working lately ….

      1. antar2011 Avatar
        antar2011

        actually 5th, after watching yesterday’s episode of “beirut el yawm’ on MTV, it’s even more confusing now…..nobody now knows what is the process of voting for pple living abroad…what with the mixing up of cut off dates for registration, unknown voting booth’s location, mixing up of required IDS…but most important of all….the govt has not decided if th elebanese living aborad would have the same list of candidates as those living in lebanese…they are thinking of having a seperate list of candidates for lebanese living abroad only…..

        in short it’s a shamozall!

  8. Hannibal Avatar
    Hannibal

    I think we should register to vote but NOT vote… It is a better statement.

  9. Hannibal Avatar
    Hannibal

    I think we should register to vote but NOT vote… It is a better statement.

  10. singingtheblues Avatar
    singingtheblues

    screw voting!

  11. singingtheblues Avatar
    singingtheblues

    screw voting!

  12. singingtheblues Avatar
    singingtheblues

    screw voting!

  13. MeYosemite Avatar
    MeYosemite

    Ghassan Karam should write an article on this topic. Lebanese government thinking we are some gullible idiots outside the country can fall for their games. I think this is important topic and should stay visible on yalibnan page. Ghassan?

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Sure it’s important Yosemite. As voting always is, where you are allowed to. I agree.
      Consider this aspect – even if hypothetical.
      You were born in the USA (or wherever) … from Lebanese parents. A natural American citizen. Schooled there, (perhaps sadly 😉 and all your friends are there.
      Are you American in your experience and thinking, or Lebanese? How could you expect to vote realistically for the BENEFIT of Lebanese citizens in Liban – who’s situation and life-experiences are totally alien to yours?

      Of course, in Lebanon, there is the weirder problem of ‘the southerners’ who sort of feel they are Lebanese because they were born there … but always say they are Palestinian and fight to go somewhere else. Could you vote to help them out of that mess? Could you relate at all? Are you a Lebanese fighting to get out of the USA and return to the wonderful ‘homeland’?

      Contemplating all that, and considering the way the last election went in Lebanon, why would you register?
      Contemplate you are a 3rd-generation Leb-American and your father married a Mexican cutie. Do you really know or care where Lebanon is?

  14. MeYosemite Avatar
    MeYosemite

    Ghassan Karam should write an article on this topic. Lebanese government thinking we are some gullible idiots outside the country can fall for their games. I think this is important topic and should stay visible on yalibnan page. Ghassan?

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Sure it’s important Yosemite. As voting always is, where you are allowed to. I agree.
      Consider this aspect – even if hypothetical.
      You were born in the USA (or wherever) … from Lebanese parents. A natural American citizen. Schooled there, (perhaps sadly 😉 and all your friends are there.
      Are you American in your experience and thinking, or Lebanese? How could you expect to vote realistically for the BENEFIT of Lebanese citizens in Liban – who’s situation and life-experiences are totally alien to yours?

      Of course, in Lebanon, there is the weirder problem of ‘the southerners’ who sort of feel they are Lebanese because they were born there … but always say they are Palestinian and fight to go somewhere else. Could you vote to help them out of that mess? Could you relate at all? Are you a Lebanese fighting to get out of the USA and return to the wonderful ‘homeland’?

      Contemplating all that, and considering the way the last election went in Lebanon, why would you register?

      1. MeYosemite Avatar
        MeYosemite

        Sometimes I forget Lebanon is the size of a suburb of LA in size, but surely they make international noise as much as China. I would vote for a ban on religion, beliefs and race in politics.

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