Lebanon’s Cabinet session on Tuesday exposed sharp divisions over amendments to the country’s parliamentary election law, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam clashing with Justice Minister Adel Nassar and ministers aligned with Speaker Nabih Berri moving to block expatriate voting.

According to information obtained by Nidaa al-Watan, the debate broke out after ministers reviewed a committee report on proposed electoral amendments. Salam suggested drafting a bill to introduce QR codes in place of magnetic voting cards and referring it to Parliament, while asking Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar to brief a parliamentary subcommittee chaired by Elias Bou Saab on the Cabinet’s findings regarding the six expatriate seats.

Justice Minister Nassar objected, insisting both issues should be bundled into a single draft law for a proper parliamentary vote. Salam rejected the proposal and was backed by Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and Labor Minister Mohammad Haydar—both seen as carrying directives from Berri. After being denied the floor, Nassar walked out of the session.

Ministers from the Lebanese Forces also voiced reservations, saying the Cabinet decision, limited to submitting a bill replacing magnetic cards with QR codes, had no practical implications.

Sources familiar with the talks said Salam was seeking to avoid a direct confrontation with Berri, who is reluctant to settle the expatriate voting issue too early. The Amal Movement and its ally Hezbollah have been pushing to cancel expatriate voting altogether, preventing Lebanese abroad from casting ballots for the full 128-member parliament as they did in 2022.

Berri’s NBN television channel underscored the position, reporting that “the Cabinet acknowledges its inability to allow expatriates to vote” and to issue the magnetic voting card.

Salam, however, had earlier signaled his stance during a meeting with a delegation from the Press Syndicate, urging Lebanese abroad to register regardless of the uncertainty.

“Let them register in any case,” he said. “We will soon know whether the seats allocated to them will remain six independent seats or whether they will vote within their electoral districts in Lebanon.”