Beirut - The Lebanese Parliament failed to convene on Tuesday after a scheduled session called by Speaker Nabih Berri was adjourned due to lack of quorum, with only 63 MPs in attendance.

The session was boycotted by lawmakers from the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces, and a number of independent and reformist deputies, in protest against Speaker Berri’s refusal to include a bill granting voting rights to Lebanese expatriates. The boycott was a coordinated response to what many viewed as a deliberate attempt to block the demands of 67 MPs who had formally requested the bill be placed on the agenda.

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab welcomed the adjournment, describing it as “the right decision,” and cautioned against passing legislation without broad parliamentary representation. “The first step toward resolving this crisis was not holding a session today,” he said, adding that Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting would be pivotal in determining the next course of action.

Bou Saab reaffirmed his support for electoral reforms that ensure all 128 MPs are elected by both residents and the diaspora, but emphasized that such changes must be achieved through institutional dialogue.

MP Melhem Khalaf criticized the exclusion of the urgent bill, calling it a violation of parliamentary procedure and a breach of equality among deputies. “This undermines legislative integrity and paralyzes the work of Parliament,” he said.

MP Firas Hamdan echoed the concerns, linking delays in reconstruction funding to what he described as “the Speaker’s disregard for constitutional norms and internal regulations,” and condemned the move as “factional behavior that disregards national interest.”

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