Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji met with a delegation of Maronite bishops from diaspora communities on Wednesday to discuss the concerns of Lebanese expatriates, with a focus on the ongoing debate over their electoral rights.

The delegation included Maronite Bishops Edgard Madi (Brazil), Antoine Charbel Tarabay (Australia), Youssef Habib Chamieh (Argentina), and Simon Faddoul (Central and West Africa). They were joined by members of the Lebanese diaspora from Brazil and Australia, as well as Rose Choueiri, President of the Maronite Foundation in the Diaspora, and the foundation’s Vice President Hiyam Boustani.

Discussions focused on the needs and concerns of Lebanese communities abroad, particularly in relation to political representation and state engagement with expatriates.

Minister Rajji praised the bishops’ role in preserving ties between Lebanon and its diaspora, hailing their “vital and fundamental role” in maintaining a sense of belonging and national identity among Lebanese abroad. He also commended the expatriate community for its continued support for Lebanon during difficult times.

The bishops expressed appreciation for the Foreign Ministry’s efforts to link Lebanese expatriates to official institutions and to defend their interests abroad, noting the ministry’s pivotal role in easing the daily affairs of the diaspora.

One of the key issues raised was the fate of Article 112 of the current electoral law, which the bishops said should be permanently abolished. Lebanese citizens living abroad, they stressed, must retain the right to vote in their original electoral districts.

According to Article 112, only six parliamentary seats are allocated to expatriates, equally divided between Christians and Muslims. 

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Bishop Tarabay voiced concern over what he described as a “conspiracy" to deprive Lebanese abroad of their right to vote for all 128 members of parliament, on equal footing with residents.