Lebanese citizens living abroad began voting in a parliamentary election on Sunday. Nearly 200,000 Lebanese living overseas are eligible to participate in the election, the first since Lebanon's 2019 financial collapse and port blast that killed more than 215 people and destroyed large parts of Beirut in August 2020. Voters in Lebanon will cast their ballots on May 15. Observers expect large numbers of expatriates to vote for candidates from a coalition of activists and independents. Australia is among those countries with the highest number of diaspora voters, alongside Canada, the United States, Germany, the United Arab Emirates. France has the most at around 28,000 eligible voters. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abadallah Bou Habib said turnout in Australia had been 55%, while in the UAE 55% of eligible voters had cast their ballots three hours before polls closed. The queue outside the Lebanese consulate in Dubai stretched for roughly a kilometre despite sweltering heat, and local police were seen fanning voters with pieces of cardboard. The ballot papers will be shipped back to Lebanon and stored at the central bank before being counted on election day. — Agencies
