The government’s ability to allow Lebanese expatriates to vote in the 2013 parliamentary elections is being questioned despite approving a mechanism proposed by Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour. A ministerial source told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper that the cabinet is not ready to accomplish the necessary steps that would allow the expats to vote.

“The Interior Ministry and the Foreign Ministry didn’t complete the measures necessary to do such a step,” the source said The cabinet approved in April the mechanism that would allow the expats to vote in the 2013 polls.Mansour said that the estimated number of Lebanese living abroad, who registered to vote, is around 4,900 out of 608,286 people. Prime Minister Najib Miqati urged expats last month to register at embassies and consulates in order to be able to vote in the elections. [Naharnet]