Letter to His Excellency President Michel Sleiman
December 19, 2012
His Excellency General Michel Sleiman
President
The Republic of Lebanon
Presidential Palace
Baabdaa, Lebanon
Dear President Sleiman:
As the debate is growing in relation to the right to vote for the Lebanese living abroad, and after listening to a recent MTV debate hosted by Mr. Walid Abboud, I thought to kindly suggest the following:
1. Name a Minister of State for Immigrant Affairs. A dynamic, visionary, creative, effective, decision maker, well-known independent figure from the Lebanese living abroad to lead and establish the proper mechanism
for the Lebanese citizens around the world to vote, from where they live, in the next 2013 parliamentary elections.
2. Establish an office for Immigrant Affairs at the Ministry of Interior for the sole purpose of addressing the immediate needs of all immigrants and expatriates. One of our urgent needs is our Lebanese personal status
“al2ahwal alshakhsiya” and also documentation regarding the purchase of public domain when the local municipalities issue a decree in this regard. Most importantly, to protect immigrants properties from being manipulated
by neighbors and distant relatives in cahoots with local authorities.
3. Establish an office for Immigrant Affairs at the Ministry of Finance for the sole purpose of addressing the immediate needs of all immigrants and expatriates regarding the land they may own, the inheritance of land or
property or registration of land that they may purchase. When opening a new business which requires permits and other needed documentations.
Mr. President, obviously the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its office of immigrant affairs are doing nothing to help us in those areas: right to vote, land ownership, business opportunities, Lebanese personal status
and many other needs. I know well how much you care about your citizens around the world and you are the first President to pledge to effectively engage them and help their needs in your swearing-in speech on
the 25th of May 2008.
I hope, Mr. President, that my recommendations are helpful to your immigrant action plan and it will, for sure, help fight corruption in the related ministries and in particular in “aldawa2er al3ikariya”.
Sincerely yours,
Walid Maalouf
C.C. His Excellency Marwan Charbel, Minister of Interior
His Excellency Mohammad Safadi, Minister of Finance