Lebanese parliamentary elections are scheduled for March 2022, but the election is already prompting urgent debates in this country, which is experiencing some of the worst years in its recent history. Today, one of the battlegrounds is its diaspora spread across several countries — including Brazil.
Lebanese citizens have until next Saturday (20) to register online and be able to vote. Activists and diplomats in cities like Brasília, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have been campaigning for the local community to participate in the election. Registration is done through a page of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Brazil is home to one of the largest Lebanese diasporas in the world. According to the embassy, there are about 200 thousand citizens. The estimate of the number of descendants — who can only vote if they have citizenship — varies enormously, depending on who makes the calculation. According to the Brazilian government, between 7 million and 10 million people of Lebanese origin live in the country.
“It is only with the vote of the diaspora that Lebanon will change,” says Lody Brais. An influential figure in the community, she presides over the Associação Cultural Brasil-Lebano and runs, among other activities, the campaign for the registration of voters in Brazil. “The politicians who are there have already lost credibility.”
Brais, who was born in northern Lebanon, says he has noticed greater interest from the diaspora after the sequence of crises that recently plagued the country. Today, nearly 75% of the population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations. “We all have families there. From here, we can change Lebanon, take out those who have been in power for too long.”
The speech reflects a certain noticeable boredom also in those who live in the Lebanese territory itself. Recently, shootings left at least seven dead in Beirut when different groups took to the streets to express their weariness: with the corrupt political class, with the judiciary and with the interference of Hizbullah and its rival faction, the Lebanese Forces.
The overseas vote is something new for the Middle East nation. This is the second time it will be possible since its debut, in 2018, and there is considerable anxiety about incorporating new voters into a political system steeped in partisan tensions. In recent months, the creation of six exclusive seats for the diaspora in Parliament has even been discussed, limiting the power of representation. The proposal was ultimately rejected in October, and Lebanese abroad will be able to vote, like others, for all 128 seats.
In 2018, participation was quite low. Only 82,000 overseas citizens registered, and 46,000 actually voted — while the country’s turnout was 1.8 million voters. But Lebanon has changed since then, and more people have become involved in politics. According to authorities, 118,000 people had already registered online until last Friday (12), and the statistic was growing visibly, with the deadline approaching on the 20th.
Lebanese living in Brazil had an exceptionally timid participation in the last election, considering its expressiveness. According to official data, 2,112 registered and only 287 voted. Diplomatic sources said they believe that this year the number should rise significantly, given the dramatic context.
The rise in diaspora interest is linked to the perception that this is some kind of doomsday election. Beirut experienced a wave of protests in 2019, was devastated by an explosion in 2020, saw new demonstrations —linked to investigations into the episode in the port — left dead last month and is experiencing one of the worst economic crises in the world since the 19th century.
Food prices are rising to priceless levels and the government no longer provides basic services such as electricity in the capital. Residents told the sheet who, without power, cannot store food in the fridge. Without internet access, they went back to listening to music on battery radios. With fuel shortages, they abandoned the cars in the garage.
Another explanation for the greater participation of the diaspora is the fact that there are, today, more Lebanese outside the country. Tens of thousands of people have left Lebanon in the last two years, disgusted by the political and economic situation — it’s not clear how many of them went to Brazil.
“The vote is a manifesto, a declaration of support for the country”, says Miled Khoury, honorary consul of Lebanon in Campinas. He has been campaigning to inform voters about the registration deadline. “Being a citizen is not just about sending money. It’s about being close, it’s about participating.”
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