Beirut – Youssef Diab  — aawsat.com  — Lebanese expatriates have become a main target in the campaigns for the May 6 parliamentary elections as political parties are eager to lure them to vote for their lists in exchange for covering the cost of flights to Beirut. Although some parties have refused to admit it, others have announced to resorting to such offers on a limited scale. Lebanese sources said not all candidates have the financial ability to buy plane tickets to Beirut so that expats vote for their lists. “Only certain parties have enough money to offer expatriates a vacation in Lebanon at their own expense in exchange for receiving their vote,” the sources said. An official from the electoral campaign of Al-Mustaqbal said “the Movement was prone to meet the requests of some expatriates, especially those residing in Gulf states, who were willing to come (to Lebanon) in return for free tickets.” However, the process came to a halt three weeks ago, said the official.

Some expats told Asharq Al-Awsat that “thousands of Lebanese emigrants had received direct phone calls from some parties offering them tickets to travel to Lebanon before Election Day.” However, the offer stands for a couple and not their children. “Flights to Lebanon, especially from Gulf States, are already booked due to the high number of people traveling to Lebanon before the elections,” the sources said. Progressive Socialist Party spokesman Rami al-Rayyes told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that his party was coordinating with expats, including those who had registered their names to vote for the first time at polling stations abroad on April 27 and April 29, in addition to those who did not want to travel to Lebanon to cast their ballots. “The majority of PSP supporters living abroad are eager to participate in the elections. We are studying all options,” Rayyes said, adding that the issue of expats’ flight costs to Lebanon is under discussion.