Diaspora

Arms and Ballots: Hezbollah’s Political Stakes

The most recent parliamentary session exposed deep divisions among Lebanon’s political forces over the electoral law – particularly on the issue of expatriate voting. The rift was so intense it raised concerns that the entire electoral process could be derailed, especially by parties whose interests have been harmed by recent local, regional ...

What Is the Shia Issue with the Diaspora?

The issue of expatriate voting - if it makes it onto Parliament’s agenda - has taken on a sectarian dimension, placing the Shia community in an increasingly contradictory position, both in relation to the broader Lebanese diaspora and to the very idea of Lebanese emigration itself. This tension is especially perplexing given that Shias ...

Lebanon’s Shia Bloc and the Emigrant Vote Dilemma

Lebanese emigrants have found themselves entangled in a crisis not of their making—namely, the existential crisis of the Shia community amid unfolding developments across the Middle East. Calls to amend the provision governing emigrant voting—whether by assigning them to Electoral District 16 or allowing them to vote for MPs in their home ...

The Lebanese Diaspora in Canada Spells Out Its Vision for the Aspired President

The Lebanese-Canadian Coordinating Committee (CCLC) has presented its “vision for the Lebanese president,” as a session to elect a new head of state is scheduled for Thursday. “We need a president who puts the well-being of the nation above his personal interests (...) who unites all Lebanese (...) who ensures respect for the Taif Agreement ...