[ad_1]
Issued on:
Given Lebanon’s ongoing economic and social crises, Lebanese expats see hope in the 2022 parliamentary election, set to take place on March 27. Fueling this hope for change is parliament’s decision to amend the electoral law, allowing expats to vote for 128 seats instead of six. As the expats’ registration deadline (November 20) approaches, diaspora networks around the world are mobilizing themselves in an attempt to increase awareness and encourage others to register.
After spending most of their lives abroad, Youmna Debs Bekhazi and her family decided to return to Lebanon in 2016. Four years later, they found themselves packing their suitcases again in search of a better future they wished to have found in their home country.
“It was hectic, but nice in Lebanon. We enjoyed being surrounded by family and watching our children grow more connected to their roots,” Debs Bekhazi said. “However, the good part did not last for long and we had no choice but to leave for Romania after the Beirut Port blast destroyed our house and the economic crisis deprived us of our own savings.”
Despite the disappointment, Youmna and her family’s hope for change made them register to vote for the next parliamentary election set to take place on March 27, 2022.
“I believe the election is the seed of change we all need,” she said. “If the situation gets better, we’ll return to Lebanon in a heartbeat.”
As of November 19, the global expat registration data recorded a total number of 210,033 registered individuals for the 2022 election, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants. This number exceeds double that of registrants from the 2018 election, which was approximately 82,000.
“This increase indicates that more expats are engaging in the democratic process,” said Zeina Mokaddam, member of…
[ad_2]
Source : france24
