BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government approved a draft law Monday that would allow Lebanese expatriates to have dual citizenship. According to the law, Lebanese expatriates who were born abroad and only have the citizenship of the country of their birth would now be eligible to apply for Lebanese citizenship as well.
The draft law was presented during a Cabinet session at the Baabda Palace headed by President Michel Sleiman and would likely help Lebanese expatriates take part in future Lebanese parliamentary elections by using their IDs at Lebanese embassies abroad.
The draft law will now be discussed in Parliament and must be ratified by MPs to be passed into law.
While Lebanese expatriates kept their citizenship after leaving Lebanon, often their children, born outside the country, have been forced to choose a single citizenship.
Monday’s Cabinet session also discussed a draft law for a new electoral law proposed by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, but failed to reach agreement on its details.
In a speech to ministers, Sleiman condemned the recurring terror attacks against the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon, the latest of which took place last week when a roadside bomb wounded five French peacekeepers and one Lebanese civilian.
“The Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army have full authority to impose the rule of law throughout the Lebanese territories and there would be no impunity for anyone, whatever he is involved in,” said Sleiman.
Sleiman also praised the Army’s role in helping with the release of abducted businessman Ahmad Zeidan, chair of the Liban Lait dairy, after he was kidnapped last Wednesday in the Bekaa.
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