Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is under fire for leading what critics describe as a systematic effort to block expatriates from exercising their full voting rights, a move that is drawing accusations of political manipulation.

According to a report by Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, Berri, backed by Hezbollah and tacitly supported by Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil, is pushing to marginalize Lebanese voters abroad by limiting their participation to a controversial six-seat quota in Parliament. Opponents argue this approach reduces millions of Lebanese expatriates to mere financial contributors, likening the diaspora’s treatment to that of a "milking cow", valued for remittances but denied meaningful political representation.

Critics say the current strategy not only deprives expatriates of their constitutional right to vote for the full 128-member Parliament, but also aims to preserve the political status quo, particularly in light of opinion polls that suggest expat votes would disrupt the power balance that currently favors Berri, Hezbollah, and the FPM.

At the heart of the controversy is Article 11 of Lebanon’s electoral law, which introduces six seats reserved for expatriates. Detractors argue the article institutionalizes inequality by giving residents in Lebanon the right to vote for the full legislature, while restricting expatriates, who make up a significant portion of Lebanon’s population, to just six MPs.

A parliamentary source told Nidaa al-Watan that Speaker Berri considers preventing expatriate participation a “main political battle” and has no intention of backing down.

“He is determined to block the proposed amendment, even if it means derailing the legislative session or, if necessary, obstructing the entire electoral process,” the source said.

A constitutional expert cited by the paper noted that Article 11 is legally unenforceable due to the absence of implementation decrees.

“The law, as it stands, cannot be applied,” the expert said, adding that Speaker Berri is also violating parliamentary protocol by refusing to include the issue on the upcoming session’s official agenda. However, the expert said Berri could still reverse course and issue an addendum to the agenda before the end of the week.