Political Finance Database

'Contributions by foreign sources are explicitly banned, and candidates and political parties do not receive any funds from the Lebanese government'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

'Contributions by foreign sources are explicitly banned, and candidates and political parties do not receive any funds from the Lebanese government'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

Art 67 'The public media shall remain impartial in all phases of the electoral process. They (including body and staff) may not carry out any activity that might be considered in favour of any candidate or list at the expense of another candidate or list.'

Source: Parliamentary Elections Law, No. 25, 2008

'The Elections Law also contains a threshold for the expenditure of candidates (including spending done in favour of the candidate as described above). To a flat amount of 150,000,000 million Lebanese pounds (USD 100,000) is added an amount per voter decided for each election by the Council of Minister on the suggestion of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities). For the 2009 elections it was the decided that candidates can spend 4,000 Lebanese pounds (around
USD 2.65) per voter, above the flat amount.'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

'As will be described in more detail below, there are no reports to be submitted before elections, but after an election each candidates needs to report on both income (in cash and in kind) and expenditure.' Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

'As will be described in more detail below, there are no reports to be submitted before elections,
but after an election each candidates needs to report on both income (in cash and in kind) and
expenditure.'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

‘

The submitted report should include detailed information about each transaction, and also

supporting documents such as receipts and disbursement notes, along with an “exhaustive bank statement’ (Article 61(2)).

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

Art 59 ‘It’s consider prohibited during the election campaign, the commitment, the expenditure that include providing or paying money to voters, and it’s included but not limited to indirect or cash assistance to individual or charitable association or social or cultural or family or religious or others, or youth club and all of the run public institutions.’

Source: Parliamentary Elections Law, No. 25, 2008

'The Elections Law also contains a threshold for the expenditure of candidates (including spending done in favour of the candidate as described above). To a flat amount of 150,000,000 million Lebanese pounds (USD 100,000) is added an amount per voter decided for each election by the Council of Minister on the suggestion of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities). For the 2009 elections it was the decided that candidates can spend 4,000 Lebanese pounds (around
USD 2.65) per voter, above the flat amount.'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

'The Elections Law also contains a threshold for the expenditure of candidates (including spending done in favour of the candidate as described above). (USD 100,000) is added an amount per voter decided for each election by the Council of Minister on the suggestion of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities). For the 2009 elections it was the decided that candidates can spend 4,000 Lebanese pounds (around
USD 2.65) per voter, above the flat amount.'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

'It becomes even more complicated when it is considered that advertising might be paid by others than the candidate or the party or list to which the candidate belong. Such spending by third parties is normally not included in financial reporting requirements,(...)  As the statement by the SCEC thereby requires that the cost of advertisements should be reported by candidates, regardless of who incurred the expense, it is difficult to conceive how this would function in practice, especially if tested through the legal system. There is for example no clear definition on electoral coalitions in Lebanon, nor is it always possible to establish which candidate belongs to which coalition without applying political interpretations, and such interpretation seldom hold in a Court of Law.'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

'To ensure compliance with the Elections Law, all candidates must open an account in an operating bank in Lebanon, and information about this account should submitted together with the candidate nomination documents (cf Articles 47(2) and 55(1)). All income and expenses must go through this account, and transactions exceeding 1 million LBP must be made with a cheque. Candidates need not make any financial reports to the SCEC before the elections, although a special committee formed by the Commission is mandated to request information and documents, and to inspect the candidate’s bank account. After the election, all candidates must submit a report to the SCEC including information about both the income and the expenditure related to the candidate during the reporting period. The reporting period is noted as the time from the candidate’s nomination (between 2 March and 7 April) and polling day. This period is referred to as the “electoral campaign” in the chapter on “Electoral Funding and Spending”, but it is important to note that the notion of “electoral campaign” is not further defined in the Elections Law. Among other things, there is no ban on campaigning before the start of this period, only a statement that no campaigning must take place on polling day itself (Article 51). However, the SCEC declared in a statement dated 25 March 2009 that posters and other materials produced and paid before the submission of the candidate’s nomination is included in the definition of campaign expenses. The submitted report should include detailed information about each transaction, and also supporting documents such as receipts and disbursement notes, along with an “exhaustive bank statement” (Article 61(2)).'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

'It becomes even more complicated when it is considered that advertising might be paid by others than the candidate or the party or list to which the candidate belong. Such spending by third parties is normally not included in financial reporting requirements,(...)  As the statement by the SCEC thereby requires that the cost of advertisements should be reported by candidates, regardless of who incurred the expense, it is difficult to conceive how this would function in practice, especially if tested through the legal system. There is for example no clear definition on electoral coalitions in Lebanon, nor is it always possible to establish which candidate belongs to which coalition without applying political interpretations, and such interpretation seldom hold in a Court of Law.'

Source Ifes, The Political Finance Framework in Lebanon, 2009

Article 61 ’After the election each candidate should prepare a comprehensive accountant statement, according to the accountant standard. It should include all the details of the total contributions received by its sources and dates.’  Article 61

Source: Parliamentary Elections Law, No. 25, 2008

61.2 ‘This statement should be submitted to the Commission within one month after the polling day along with supporting documents related to all account items, such as receipts and disbursement notes, in addition to an exhaustive bank statement of the electoral account showing all transactions made through this account since its opening until the submission of the said statement.'

Source: Parliamentary Elections Law, No. 25, 2008

Article 61 ’After the election each candidate should prepare a comprehensive accountant statement, according to the accountant standard. It should include all the details of the total contributions received by its sources and dates.’  Article 61

Source: Parliamentary Elections Law, No. 25, 2008

Art 62, 'Whoever intentionally violates any of the provisions of this section of the law will be imprisoned for a maximum period of six months. Furthermore he will get a fine ranging from fifty to one hundred million Lebanese Lere or either of the penalties without prejudice to penalties that deal with criminal offenses provided in the law ' (Source: Parliamentary Elections Law, No. 25, 2008)