The first phase of the parliamentary elections in Lebanon began on Friday with the participation of expatriates in six Arab countries: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman; and will continue throughout the day until 11:00 pm Lebanon time. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry presented the details of the operation, noting that the second phase of the elections would be held on Sunday in 33 countries, in addition to the island of Guadeloupe. The voting will begin at midnight on Saturday-Sunday in Australia and ends at 8:00 am Monday, Lebanon time, after the closing of the ballot boxes at 10:00 pm on the West Coast of the United States. The statement added that the ministry would broadcast the overseas voting process live throughout the expat voting period, from all of the polling stations across the world, via an operation room it has established at the ministry, to allow local and international media to follow developments in real time. The current electoral law allows, for the first time, Lebanese voters in foreign countries to vote in the parliamentary elections. Over 82,970 voters have registered in 40 countries on 6 continents, with 96 centers with 232 polling stations.