MP Nadim Gemayel on Monday accused Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri of blocking a legislative proposal aimed at expanding voting rights for the Lebanese diaspora, ahead of a scheduled parliamentary session expected to address the contentious issue.

In remarks to This Is Lebanon, Gemayel clarified that the general electoral law is not on the official agenda for today's session, but rather a proposal put forward by MPs to allow expatriates to vote for all  to vote for all 128 members of parliament, on equal footing with residents. 

“We are proposing today an amendment to the article that grants the diaspora the right to vote for just six parliamentary seats. What we want is for expatriates to vote for all 128 members of Parliament,” Gemayel said.

He noted that lawmakers had formally requested the inclusion of the proposal in Monday’s session, but Speaker Berri rejected it.

“The battle today is one fought by all Lebanese who care about holding elections on time and ensuring that expatriates can vote,” he added.

Gemayel emphasized that the proposal is part of a broader push to reform Lebanon’s electoral system.

“We’re talking about amending the entire electoral system. If we can’t achieve that, then at least we are working to amend the specific provision related to expatriate voting,” he said.