LF-FPM sign off on a draft law that allows expats to regain their Lebanese citizenship

Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement MPs signed off  on a draft law   Tuesday  that allows expatriates  to regain their Lebanese citizenship

Earlier, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that the draft-law will be the “fruit of the Declaration of Intent” signed between the two parties last  June.

They expressed hope that their ongoing contacts would lead to including parliamentary electoral laws on the agenda of the parliamentary bureau.

The bureau is scheduled to convene later on Tuesday to address the agenda of an upcoming legislative session.

The LF and FPM had intensified  their contacts  over the past week in order to reach a an agreement  on the agenda of the legislative session.

The two sides are pushing for including the parliamentary electoral law and the law on restoring citizenship  on the agenda of the legislative session.

No agenda yet

The parliament bureau held a meeting on Tuesday  afternoon at Speaker Nabih Berri’s residence in  Ain el-Tineh  but failed to agree on the agenda of the upcoming legislative session, Deputy Speaker Farid Makari said  after the meeting.

A new meeting for the bureau will be held next week, he added.

Today’s meeting was attended by MPs Marwan Hamadeh, Ahmed Fatfat, Michel Moussa, Antoine Zahra, and Serge Torsarkissian.

A dispute emerged after the talks on whether to include the draft-law  that allows expats to regain their Lebanese citizenship

Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra told reporters: “ “ LF’s participation at the legislative session hinges on whether the parliamentary electoral law is on its agenda.”

Future Movement MP Torsarkissian criticized LF’s position however, saying that attention should be focused  on resolving the country’s garbage  crisis.

“What use is the citizenship law if the Lebanese people in the country are emigrating?” he asked.

Shouldn’t conditions in Lebanon be improved for the expatriates to return to their country? wondered the MP.