PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Law No. 44 Electon of the Members of the Parliament

Issued on 17 June 2017 Published in the Ofcial Gazete No.27 Dated 17 June 2017

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS LAW

Parliamentary Electons

Law No. 44 Electon of the Members of the Parliament Issued on 17 JUNE 2017

INDEX

CHAPTERS

CHAPTER I: The Votng System, Number of Deputes and Consttuencies 1-2

CHAPTER II: Eligibility of Voters and Candidates 3-8

CHAPTER III: Electon Supervision 9-23

CHAPTER IV: Preparatons and Voter Lists 24-55

CHAPTER V: Campaign Financing and Spending 56-67

CHAPTER VI: Electoral Media and Advertsing 68-83

CHAPTER VII: Votng 84-97

CHAPTER VIII: The Electoral System 98-99

CHAPTER IX: Vote Countng and Publicaton of Results 100-108

CHAPTER X: The Incompatbility between Parliamentary Ofce and other Functons 109-110

CHAPTER XI: Out of Country Votng 111-126

Annex 1: Table atached to the law: Distributon of Seats to the Confessions and Districts

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PARLIAMENTARYPARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ELECTIONS LAW LAW

Law No. 44 Electon of the Members of the Parliament Issued on 17 JUNE 2017

Single artcle: - The draf law submited for immediate enforcement by virtue of decree no. 883 of 14/6/2017 on the “Law for the electon of the members of the parliament” as amended by the general assembly of the parliament is hereby approved. - The present law shall enter into force immediately afer its publicaton in the ofcial gazete, subject to expeditous promulgaton in accordance with the frst paragraph of Artcle /56/ of the Consttuton.

Baabda, on June 17, 2017 The President of the Republic, Michel AOUN (signature) The Prime Minister, Saadeddine HARIRI (signature)

Chapter I Chapter II The Votng System, Number of Eligibility of Voters and Candidates Deputes and Consttuencies Artcle 3: The right to vote Artcle 1: The votng system and number of Every resident or non-resident, male or female deputes Lebanese citzen may exercise their right to The Parliament is composed of 128 deputes vote, provided that they have atained the legal elected for four years through a system of age stpulated in the Consttuton, enjoy their proportonal representaton. Electons shall civil and politcal rights and are not in any of the be organized in one round and based on the non-eligibility situatons set forth in the present principles of universal sufrage and secret ballot. law.

Artcle 2: Parliamentary seats and Artcle 4: Voter disenfranchisement or the consttuencies revocaton of the right to vote a. The number and confessional distributon Disenfranchisement shall apply to: of parliamentary seats by consttuency are 1.Persons who are under an interdicton of civil determined according to the table atached to rights. the present law (Appendix I) and shall be the 2.Persons who are permanently barred from basis for the nominaton of candidates. The public ofce and posts. atached table is an integral part of the present 3.Persons who are under temporary law. disqualifcaton from ofce and post levels, untl b. All voters of diferent confessions in the their re-qualifcaton. electoral consttuency shall vote for the 4.Persons who are convicted of a felony ofense. candidates of that consttuency. 5.Persons who are convicted of any of the following major ofences: burglary, fraud, bad credit, embezzlement, bribery, perjury, rape, intmidaton, forgery, the use of forged documents, false testmony, crimes against

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public morals listed in Chapter Seven of the follow the date of their service terminaton or Penal Code and crimes related to the cultvaton, acceptance of resignaton: producton and trafcking of narcotcs. (a) The Consttutonal Council members and all 6.Persons who are placed under judicial types and levels of judges serving in the judicial, interdicton, throughout the duraton of the administratve, fnancial, spiritual, confessional interdicton period. or religious courts, unless they resign and 7.Persons who have been fraudulently declared efectvely disengage from their posts, at bankrupt or sentenced to the penaltes specifed least two years prior to the end date of the in Artcles 689 to 698 of the Penal Code. Parliament’s mandate. 8.Persons who are sentenced to the penaltes (b) First and second-grade civil servants, unless provided for in Artcles 329 to 334 of the Penal they resign and efectvely disengage from their Code. posts, at least six months prior to the end date The abovementoned persons may not vote of the Parliament’s mandate. untl afer their rehabilitaton. (c) Military personnel of all ranks and divisions including the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Artcle 5: Votng and nominaton requirements Internal Security Forces, General Security, State for naturalized citzens Security, Customs Police, Parliament Police, Naturalized Lebanese citzens may only vote or and other similar positons may not stand for run for ofce ten years afer the executon of parliamentary electons unless they retre or their naturalizaton decree. resign and have their resignaton accepted at The present artcle shall not apply to non- least six months prior to the end date of the Lebanese women who obtain the Lebanese Parliement’s mandate. citzenship as a result of marrying a Lebanese (d) The chairs and members of boards of male. directors who hold full-tme positons in public insttutons and bodies, mixedeconomy Artcle 6: Military voters companies, public capital companies and public Non-retred military personnel of all ranks and right insttutons and their general managers, divisions including the Lebanese Armed Forces, unless they resign and efectvely disengage the Internal Security Forces, General Security, from their posts at least six months prior to the State Security, Parliament Police, Customs Police end date of the Parliament’s mandate. and other similar positons, may not vote. (e) The presidents and vice-presidents of municipal councils and presidents of unions of Artcle 7: The right to stand for Parliamentary municipalites, unless they resign in accordance electons with the provisions of the Municipalites Law The right to stand for Parliamentary electons and efectvely disengage from their posts at is restricted to Lebanese citzens who have least two years before the end date of the completed the age of twenty-fve, are registered Parliament’s mandate. in the voter registry and exercise their civil and On an exceptonal basis and for one tme politcal rights. only, the presidents of municipal councils and unions of Municipalites wishing to run in the Artcle 8: Ineligibility to stand for electons parliamentary electons shall submit their 1.The persons mentoned below may not resignaton from both the presidency and stand for electons, neither during their tenure membership of municipal councils within thirty of ofce nor during the tme intervals that days from the date of publicaton of the law in

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the Ofcial Gazete. nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council. (b) An honorably retred administratve judge (f) The president, vice-president and members who has exercised judicial dutes for over 20 of the Supervisory Commission for Electons. years, selected from among three candidates nominated by the State Council (Shura Council). 2.Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, (c) An honorably retred fnancial judge who a resignaton submited for the above reasons has exercised judicial dutes for over 20 shall be considered as accepted on the date of years, selected from among three candidates submission thereof to the competent authority nominated by the Court of Auditors. and the resignee’s efectve disengagement (d) A former president of the Bar Associaton from post. selected from among three former Bar Presidents nominated by the Beirut Bar Council 3.The provisions of the present Artcle do not (as member). apply to the faculty members holding a cadre, (e) A former president of the Bar Associaton full-tme or contractual positon at the Lebanese selected from among three former Bar University. Presidents nominated by the Tripoli Bar Council (as member). (f) A representatve of the Press Syndicate Chapter III selected from among three candidates Electon Supervision nominated by the syndicate Council (as member). Artcle 9: The Supervisory Commission for (g) A media and advertsing expert selected Electons from among three candidates nominated by A permanent body called the "Supervisory the Natonal Council for Audiovisual Media Commission for Electons", hereinafer referred (member). to as the "Commission", shall be established. (h) A former president of the Lebanese The Commission shall supervise the electons Associaton of Certfed Public Accountants in accordance with its functons set forth in selected from among three candidates this law, independently and in coordinaton nominated by the Associaton (as member). with the Minister of Interior and Municipalites, (i) Two members who are senior experts in hereinafer referred to as the "Minister”. electons-related maters (including electons The Minister shall monitor the works of the management, campaign fnancing or electoral Commission, choose its headquarters, make advertsing) selected from among 6 candidates such independent private headquarters nominated by the Minister. available, and atend its meetngs when (j) A representatve of the civil society necessary, without partcipatng in the votng. organizatons that meet the requirements stpulated in Artcle 20 of the present law, Artcle 10: The compositon of the Commission selected from among three candidates who 1.The Commission is composed of eleven are experienced in electons and nominated members according to the following: by the said organizatons through a selecton procedure decided by the Minister. (a) An honorably retred ordinary judge who 2.Gender representaton shall be considered has exercised judicial dutes for over 20 when candidates are selected for membership years, selected from among three candidates of the Commission.

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3.The Commission shall be presided over by Artcle 12: Vacancy in the Commission either the judicial or the administratve judge, If the positon of any Commission member whoever holds the higher positon. However, if becomes vacant for any reason, the Commission both judges hold equal positons, the older judge shall announce the vacancy, and the Commission shall preside over the Commission. The older President shall inform the Minister, within of the two Bar Presidents shall automatcally one week, for their informaton and necessary become Vice-President. acton to appoint a susbsttute.

The nominatng bodies referred to in this Artcle The substtute member shall be appointed shall nominate candidates within one month within a maximum period of ffeen days startng from the date of their notfcaton of the request from the date of notfcaton of the Minister, to submit the names. through the same procedure of appointment of the original member and for the remainder of In the event of failed or overdue nominaton of their term of ofce. a candidate from a specifc category, the Council of Ministers may, at the suggeston of the Artcle 13: Oath-taking Minister, appoint a substtute from the same The members of the Commission shall take category. the following oath before the President of the Republic, prior to assuming their dutes, and Artcle 11: Appointment and mandate of the within a maximum period of ffeen days startng Commission members from the date of their appointment: The Commission members shall be appointed by virtue of a decree to be issued by the Council "I swear by God, the Almighty, to fulfll my dutes of Ministers at the suggeston of the Minister. in the Supervisory Commission for Electons with utmost integrity, impartality, dedicaton The Commission members for the upcoming and independence, and to strictly comply with electons shall be appointed within a maximum the laws and regulatons, especially those period of three months from the date of that regulate the electons to guarantee their publicaton of this law. freedom, integrity and transparency”.

The mandate of the Commission members Artcle 14: Rules of procedure of the shall commence on the date of issue of their Commission appointment decree pursuant to the Council of The Commission may draf and amend its rules Ministers’ decision, and end six months afer the of procedure that regulate its actvites pursuant completon date of the general parliamentary to the provisions of the present law. electons. The rules of procedure and amendment thereof The Council of Ministers shall appoint the shall be approved by virtue of a decision to be Commission members one month prior to the taken by the Council of Ministers within ffeen end of the mandate of the existng Commission. days from the date of submission thereof to the The existng Commission shall contnue the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. exercise of its functons untl a new Commission is appointed. Artcle 15: Incompatbility of ofces a. Prime ministers, ministers, speakers and members of parliament, board chairs and

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members of public insttutons, presidents and the right to counsel in accordance with the rules members of municipal councils, and holders of of procedure of the Commission, and provided any other public functons may not, at the same that the decision of the Commission is approved tme, hold the positon of member, president by the Council of Ministers. or vice-president of the Commission, except for faculty members who hold cadre, full- Artcle 17: Criminal prosecuton tme or contractual positons at the Lebanese No criminal proceedings, penal acton or arrests University, in additon to the incompatbility may be initated without the authorizaton of cases indicated in Artcle 8 (d) and (e), and in the the Commission against the members of the second paragraph of Artcle 109 of the present Commission, during their term of ofce, for acts law. related to their work in the Commission. And b. The president, vice-president and members no provisional arrest decisions may be taken of the Commission may not stand for municipal against the members of the Commission for acts or local electons during their term of ofce and not related to their work in the Commission, the year following the end thereof. unless they are caught in the act of commitng c. If any of the persons mentoned in paragraph the ofence. (a) above is appointed as member of the The Minister of Justce shall submit to the Commission, they shall decide, within a period Court of Cassaton a request for authorizaton of two weeks, whether to keep their current to prosecute or take appropriate legal acton positon or become member of the Commission; pursuant to a warrant of the Public Prosecutor otherwise, they shall be considered to specifying the type, tme and place of the have resigned from the membership of the ofense and providing a summary of the Commission. evidence warrantng the prosecuton of the ofender and the initaton of the necessary Artcle 16: Prohibited acts punitve measures. During their term of ofce, the president and The request for authorizaton to prosecute members of the Commission shall refrain from shall be submited to the Minister, and the carrying out any acts or actvites that run Commission shall be convened within a one- counter to the Commission’s functons and week period to look into the request and decide impartality. thereon afer hearing the accused member who may not partcipate in the vote. And within During their term of ofce, the president and a similar period, the Commission shall issue members of the Commission shall refrain its decision on the prosecuton by absolute from giving any lectures or partcipatng in majority and submit it to the Minister. any seminar or making any statement related to electons, in their personal capacity, unless authorized by the Commission. Artcle 18: Compensaton of Commission members The Commission shall decide to terminate the The President of the Commission shall receive, term of ofce of any of its members who violates for the duraton of their mandate, a monthly the obligatons provided for in the present law, allowance to be specifed in the decree subject to approval by a two-thirds majority establishing the Commission, provided that vote of Commission members, and subject to they discontnue any other occupaton. All other the applicaton of the adversarial system and members of the Commission shall discontnue

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any other occupaton during the electoral 9.Receiving and processing the applicatons process period, and shall receive, during said of local and internatonal electoral observers, period, a fxed allowance to be specifed in the issuing their permits and establishing a code of decree establishing the Commission. conduct for them. 10.Promotng electoral knowledge, guiding Artcle 19: The functons of the Commission voters and encouraging democratc practce by The Commission shall assume the following all means available. functons and powers: 11.Receiving and adjudicatng complaints of 1.Issuing decisions and circulars that fall within alleged violatons in maters related to the the framework of its functons and submitng functons of the Commission. Where such the proposals it deems appropriate to the violatons are proven, the Commission may Minister. automatcally take acton and initate the 2.Receiving the applicatons of the audiovisual, appropriate measures. print and electronic media wishing to partcipate 12.Recruitng electoral experts when necessary. in covering the votng and countng process, delivering the required permits to such media At the end of its mandate, the Commission shall and establishing the code of conduct for media submit a report on its work and submit it to the coverage. President of the Republic, the Speaker of the 3.Receiving the applicatons of the private Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Minister of audiovisual and print media wishing to Interior and Municipalites and the President of partcipate in the paid electoral advertsing in the Consttutonal Council. The said report shall accordance with the provisions of this law. be published in the Ofcial Gazete. 4.Monitoring the compliance of all candidate lists, candidates and media outlets with the Artcle 20: Electon Observaton laws and regulatons that regulate the electoral a. The competent civil society organizatons competton in accordance with the provisions may observe the electons and monitor of this law. their progress, under the supervision of the 5.Determining the terms and conditons Commission, provided that they meet all of the of conductng opinion polls as well as the following requirements: disseminaton, broadcast or distributon of -To be non-politcal and have a proof of results thereof during the electoral campaign registraton issued at least two years prior and monitoring compliance with the pre- to the submission of the applicaton to the electon silence period. Commission. 6.Receiving and auditng the fnancial statements -To neither be associated with any politcal of the electoral campaigns within one month side or party nor have in their general or from the date of the electons. administratve bodies any candidate standing 7.Receiving the candidates’ applicatons for for electons. the registraton of their fnancial commissioner -To have in their statute, at least in the past two for the electoral campaign, and issuing them a years, objectves related to democracy, human receipt proving that their applicaton has been rights, electons, transparency or a training fled. component related thereto. 8.Exercising control over the electon campaign -To declare their funding sources to the spending in accordance with the provisions of Commission. this law. -To submit to the Commission the closing

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balance of its account dedicated for its electon Artcle 22: The delegaton of powers observaton actvites, not later than one month The Commission may decide to delegate to one afer the end of the electoral process. or several of its members a specifc task that falls -To have at the date of submission of the within its remits. It may also form commitees to applicaton at least 100 members afliated carry out such specifc tasks. to the organizaton in accordance with the The President of the Commission may delegate regulatons duly deposited with the competent certain powers to their deputy or a Commission ofcial authorites. member. -To have its administratve board comply with the code of ethics established by the Commission. Artcle 23: The administratve body and budget of the Commission The Commission shall look into the accreditaton a. The fnancial and administratve regulatons applicatons submited thereto, verify the of the Commission shall be determined by fulfllment of the above-listed requirements, virtue of decrees to be adopted by the Council of and decide whether to approve or reject each Ministers at the Minister’s suggeston solicited applicaton. by the Commission. The Commission shall determine the principles and procedures of electon observaton and b. The Commission shall have an administratve monitoring by virtue of decisions that it may body and may contract with whoever it deems issue at least one month prior to Electon Day. competent and ft to support it in the exercise of its functons. The Commission may also request b.The Commission shall look into the applicatons that a number of employees who hold grade- of internatonal electons organizatons wishing four or otherwise equivalent positons in public to observe the electoral process in accordance administratons and insttutons be temporarily with the terms and conditons established by seconded to it in return for compensaton to be the Commission at least one month prior to determined by the Minister. The secondment Electon Day. shall be efected by a decision of the competent c.The Commission reserves the right to revoke minister at the Minister’s request solicited by the accreditaton of any organizaton or the Commission. The said decision shall also organizaton member authorized to observe specify the duraton of the secondment. the electoral process, should they violate the c. The Commission shall prepare its draf budget. conditons set forth in the laws and regulatons. Special appropriatons for the Commission’s budget shall be allocated in the budget of the Artcle 21: The decisions of the Commission Ministry of Interior and Municipalites, at the The meetngs of the Commission shall be suggeston of the Minister. considered legal only in the presence of at least seven members. The decisions of the Chapter IV Commission shall be taken by an absolute majority of its legal members and may be Preparatons and Voter Lists appealed to the State Council (Shura Council) within three days from the date of notfcaton Artcle 24: Voter registraton or publicaton thereof. The State Council shall Registraton in the voter lists is mandatory for decide on the appeal within three days from the voters. A voter may not be registered in more date of submission thereof. than one voter list, subject to the applicaton of

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the provisions of Artcle 461 of the Penal Code. General of Personal Status, on an annual basis, between November 20 and December Artcle 25: The permanent and amendable 20, preliminary lists containing the names nature of the voter lists of registered persons who are eligible for The voter lists are permanent; however, they registraton in the voter lists or who would have may be periodically updated in accordance with become eligible for registraton on the voter list the provisions of the present law. freeze date, as well as the names of persons whose registraton has been omited, who Artcle 26: Voter lists have died or whose names have been removed The Directorate General of Personal Status from the personal status records for any reason (DGPS) shall prepare for every electoral whatsoever. consttuency automated lists containing the names of voters as extracted from the personal Artcle 29: The obligatons of the Criminal status records. The voter lists shall contain the Record Department names of all voters who, on the start date of The regional Criminal Record Departments shall the voter lists’ updatng period, i.e. the 20th of submit to the Directorate General of Personal October every year, would have been registered Status, on an annual basis, between November in the electoral consttuency for at least one 20 and December 20, a list containing the names year. of persons convicted of ofenses that would prevent them from exercising their right to vote Artcle 27: Voter list entries in accordance with the provisions of Artcle 4 of The voter lists shall include: the voter’s full name, the present Law. mother’s name, register number as extracted from the personal status records, gender, date Artcle 30: The obligatons of the courts of of birth and confession. On each list, a column justce shall be reserved to note, where appropriate, The courts of justce shall submit to the the amendments made to the entries in terms of Directorate General of Personal Status on correcton or replacement, and make reference an annual basis, between November 20 and to the supportng legal document. December 20, a list containing the fnal decisions The names of persons whose date of birth that the courts have issued with regard to indicates that they are a hundred years old or judicial interdicton and crimes provided for in older shall be removed from the voter list. Artcle 4 of the present law.

The removal of the names of the persons Artcle 31: Updatng the voter lists above shall not prevent their re-registraton, The Directorate General of Personal Status shall provided that the concerned person submits an verify the informaton submited to it by the applicaton for re-registraton to the Ministry authorites mentoned in the preceding artcles within one month from the date of publicaton and update the voter lists accordingly. of the voter lists. Each voter list shall include an empty column Artcle 28: The obligatons of the Personal where the reasons for the update and the Status Registraton Ofces details of registraton transfers from one list to The heads of regional personal status ofces another may be recorded. It is mandatory, in the and departments shall submit to the Directorate case of transfers, to indicate the register place

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and number and transfer date. compact discs (CDs).

For the purposes of the present law, any electve Artcle 34: The correcton of voter lists transfer of personal status registraton occurring 1.Startng the frst of February of each year, any during the year leading up to the start date of interested party may submit to the competent the voter lists’ updatng period shall not be taken registraton commitee provided for in this law, into consideraton. Registraton transfer due to a request for the correcton of any inaccuracy in marriage is not electve; the wife shall have the their registraton data on the voter list, including right to vote if the transfer of her registraton omissions or wrong name spelling due to occurred during the year mentoned above. negligence or factual error or any other reason. The request for correcton shall be submited Artcle 32: The publicaton and circulaton of to the registraton commitee before the 1st the voter lists of March of the same year, provided that Before the frst of February of each year, the documents and evidence validatng the request Directorate General for Personal Status shall are submited therewith. send copies of the preliminary voter lists to The request for correcton may be fled free of the municipalites, mukhtars as well as the charge. governorate and district centers, with the aim of The requests for adding omited names shall publishing and circulatng them in preparaton be submited together with a recent criminal for their fnal updatng, provided that the record, not older than one month. recipient authorites take delivery of these lists 2.Any voter registered in a voter list may request by the frst of February, at the latest, so that they the competent registraton commitee to may invite the voters to view them and request remove or add the name of any person whose their correcton according to the documents name is illegally registered or omited in the available to them. same list. The competent Governor (Muhafz), District Artcle 33: The publicaton of the voter lists on Commissionner (Qaimqam) and Mukhtar may the media exercise this right too, during the one-month The Ministry of Interior and Municipalites shall period ending on the frst of March of every announce through the audio-visual and print year. media between February 1 and March 10 that 3.Non-resident voters may submit the same the voter lists are ready, and shall invite voters requests provided for in paragraphs 1 and 2 to view them. of this Artcle to the Lebanese embassies and consular ofces who shall immediately refer To this end, too, and within the same period, the such requests to the Directorate General of Ministry shall publish the preliminaty voter lists Personal Status through the Ministry of Foreign on its website and on compact discs (CDs). Any Afairs and Emigrants. person is enttled to purchase the preliminary The Directorate General of Personal Status voter lists on CD in return for a price determined shall, in turn, refer such requests to the by the Ministry. competent registraton commitees for acton as appropriate. The Ministry of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants may also publish the preliminary voter lists Artcle 35: The voter lists freeze within the same period on its website and on While in the process of preparing the fnal voter

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lists, the General Directorate of Personal Status thereof. shall take into consideraton the registraton The request for correcton and the appeal updates and transfers provided for in this Law. shall be fled free of charge. The requester and The voter lists shall be frozen on March 30 of appellant shall be exempt from the obligaton to each year and remain valid untl March 30 of the hire a lawyer. following year. 2.Receiving the ballot boxes immediately The Minister shall send a copy of the fnal voter afer the closing of polling statons, verifying lists received from the Directorate General of the reports and documents and taking the Personal Status to the Directorate General for appropriate decisions thereon. Politcal Afairs and Refugees to be used in any 3.Sortng and countng the votes, preparing electons taking place between March 30 of the the general table detailing the results obtained current year and March 30 of the following year. by each candidate list and candidate and submitng it to the competent high registraton Artcle 36: The Primary Registraton commitees. Commitees One or several primary registraton commitees Artcle 38: The High Registraton Commitees shall be established in each consttuency. One high registraton commitee shall be A registraton commitee is composed of a established in each consttuency for the duraton President who shall be a working ordinary of one electoral session. or administratve judge, in additon to two A high registraton commitee is composed members with the frst member being president of one President who shall be President of a or member of a Municipal Council within the Chamber or Counselor at the Court of Cassaton, electoral consttuency, and the second an ofcer or President of a Chamber at the Court of from the Directorate General of Personal Status. Appeal, or President of a Chamber or Counselor Each registraton commitee shall have one or at the State Council, and two members with the several DGPS employees from the Directorate frst being a working ordinary or administratve General of Personal Status, appointed to serve judge, and the second an inspector from in it by virtue of a decision of the Minister. the Central Inspecton Board, in additon to a rapporteur who shall be head or member Artcle 37: The Functons Of The Primary of department at the Directorate General of Registraton Commitees Personal Status. The primary registraton commitee shall assume the following functons: Artcle 39: The functons of the High Registraton 1.Looking into the requests for correcton of Commitees voter lists in accordance with the provisions of The high registraton commitee shall assume the present law, deciding on each request within the following functons: three working days from the date of submission 1.Looking into the requests to appeal the thereof and informing the concerned persons decisions of the registraton commitees and and the Directorate General of Personal Status deciding thereon within three working days of such decision. from the date of receipt thereof. The decisions of the primary registraton 2.Receiving and verifying the reports of results commitees may be appealed to the competent issued by all the primary registraton commitees High registraton commitee referred to later operatng under the high registraton commitee, in this Law within three days of notfcaton together with the tables atached thereto,

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countng the votes, preparing the general the death, resignaton or dismissal of the tables detailing the results obtained by each incumbent, or any other reason, electons shall candidate list and candidate and immediately be conducted to fll the vacant seat within two submitng such tables to the Minister through months from the date of the vacancy or the date the Governor or his representatve. of publicaton of the Consttutonal Council’s 3.The Commitee shall submit the results of its decision of dismissal of the incumbent in the actvites described in paragraphs 1 and 2 above ofcial gazete. to the Supervisory Commission for Electons. However, if such vacancy occurs in the last six months of the Parliament’s mandate, no Artcle 40: The mandate of Registraton successor shall be elected. Commitees 2.The voters are called to vote by virtue of The presidents, members and rapporteurs of a decree published in the ofcial gazete. A primary and high registraton commitees shall minimum thirty-day interval between the date be appointed for one electoral cycle only, before of publicaton of the Call for Electons decree the frst of February of the year during which and Electon Day shall be observed. the general parliamentary electons are held, by 3.The deadline for candidate nominaton for virtue of decrees issued at the suggeston of the parliamentary by-electons shall be at least 15 Minister of Justce and the Minsiter of Interior days prior to the by-electons date, and the and Municipalites. deadline for nominaton withdrawal shall be at least 10 days prior to the by-electons date. Artcle 41: Scheduling the electons 4.By-electons to fll the vacant seat at the level Parliamentary electons shall be held in one of the minor consttuency whose seat had day, for all consttuencies, within the 60 days fallen vacant shall be held using a one-round preceding the end of the term of ofce of the majoritarian system, and the polling centers parliament, unless the parliament has been within the said consttuency shall be designated dissolved, in which case the electons take place by virtue of a decision of the Minister of Interior within the three months following the issuance and Municipalites; However, if more than of the dissoluton decree. two seats are vacant in the major electoral The term of ofce of the current parliament consttuency, the proportonal votng system shall exceptonally end on May 21, 2018 to allow shall apply in accordance with the provisions of the government to take the necessary measures the present law. for the implementaton of the new provisions 5.Resident and non-resident voters may and procedures regulatng the parliamentary partcipate in the votng process on conditon electons set forth in the present law. that they exercise their right to vote on the Lebanese territory. Artcle 42: The Call for Electon 6.The term of ofce of a deputy elected through The voters are called to vote by virtue of a by-electons shall not exceed the term of ofce decree published in the ofcial gazete. A of the replaced deputy. minimum ninety-day interval between the 7.Notwithstanding the provisions of Artcle 8 date of publicaton of the Call for Electons and (c) of the present Law, the persons mentoned Electon Day shall be observed. in the said Artcle may be nominated provided that they resign and efectvely discontnue the Artcle 43: By-electons practce of their functons within ffeen days 1.If a parliament seat becomes vacant following from the date of issue of the Call for Electons

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decree. -A bank statement confrming that the candidate 8.The provisions of the Parliamentary Electons has opened a bank account for the electoral Law No. 25 of 8-10-2008 pertaining to the campaign, as required in the present law, and applicaton of the majoritarian votng system mentoning the name of the person authorized shall exceptonally apply to the provisions of by the candidate to perform transactons on the this Artcle, in a manner consistent with the said account. provisions of the present law. -A copy of the fnal voter lists proving the registraton of the candidate, signed by the DGPS Artcle 44: Candidate nominaton for the ofcer serving as rapporteur in the primary electoral consttuency registraton commitee in the concerned All persons eligible for electon to the parliament consttuency. may nominate themselves in any electoral -A statement by the candidate prepared at consttuency. A candidate may not nominate the notary’s ofce and statng the name of the themselves concurrently in more than one candidate’s auditor, provided that the candidate electoral consttuency. submits a certfed copy of this statement to the Supervisory Commission for Parliamentary Artcle 45: Candidate nominaton applicatons Electons. All candidates standing for parliamentary -A statement by the candidate prepared at the electons shall submit the following: notary’s ofce and authorizing the Commission to access and check the bank account related to 1.An applicaton form prepared by the Ministry the candidate’s electoral campaign. of Interior to be flled out by the candidate and submited to the Directorate General of Politcal Artcle 46: Closing the nominaton period and Afairs and Refugees at the Ministry of Interior deciding on applicatons and Municipalites, signed by the candidate and 1.The nominaton period shall be closed sixty authentcated by a notary and including the days prior to Electon Day. following informaton: 2.Candidates shall submit their nominaton -the full name of the candidate. applicaton with all the required documents to -the seat, and the minor consttuency the Ministry no later than the closing date of the or consttuency not composed of minor nominaton period. consttuencies where the candidate wishes to 3.The Ministry shall issue the candidate a be elected. temporary receipt in acknowledgement of 2.The following documents to be atached to receipt of their applicaton and documents. the applicaton: 4.The Ministry shall either approve or reject -A recent individual civil status record not older each nominaton applicaton within a period of than one month. fve days from the date of receipt thereof. For -A recent criminal record not older than one approved applicatons, the Ministry shall issue month. the candidate a fnal receipt confrming the -Two passport photos authentcated by the registraton of their nominaton. For rejected Mukhtar. applicatons, the Ministry shall inform the -A fnancial receipt issued by the fnancial candidate of the reasons for their rejecton. department of the Ministry confrming the 5.If the fve-day period used by the Ministry deposit of eight million Lebanese pounds as to decide on the nominaton applicaton nominaton fee by the candidate. expires without any decision announced by

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the Ministry, the nominaton applicaton shall Artcle 48: Uncontested winners be considered as approved. The Ministry shall 1.If the nominaton period expires with only one issue the candidate a fnal receipt confrming candidate nominated for a partcular seat in a the registraton of their nominaton. minor electoral consttuency, such candidate 6.Candidates whose nominaton applicatons shall be declared uncontested winner and the have been rejected by the Ministry may, within candidate lists, in this case, shall include the three days of notfcaton of such express remaining seats in the consttuency. rejecton, lodge a non dutable appeal to the 2.Candidate lists shall be registered at least forty State Council who shall decide on the appeal days before Electon Day. If the deadline for the in the deliberaton room within three days of registraton of candidate lists expires with only receipt thereof. The State Council’s decision, in one complete list nominated for the seats of a this case, shall be fnal and not subject to any partcular consttuency, the said candidate list ordinary or extraordinary legal recourse. shall be declared uncontested winner. 3.In both cases, the Ministry shall immediately Artcle 47: Extension of the nominaton period inform the Speaker of Parliament and the 1.If the nominaton period expires without any President of the Consttutonal Council in candidate submitng a nominaton applicaton writng. for a partcular seat, the nominaton period is automatcally extended for seven days Artcle 49: Discarding nominaton applicatons and the Ministry shall either approve or Nominaton applicatons found inconsistent reject the nominaton applicatons within 24 with the provisions of the preceding artcles or hours from the date of receipt thereof. For submited by the same candidate in multple approved applicatons, the Ministry shall issue consttuencies shall be discarded. However, if the candidate a fnal receipt confrming the multple applicatons have been submited by registraton of their nominaton. For rejected the same candidate on diferent dates, the most applicatons, the Ministry shall inform the recent applicaton shall be processed and the candidate of the reasons for their rejecton. preceding ones discarded. 2.If the abovementoned period expires without any decision announced by the Ministry, the Artcle 50: Withdrawal of nominaton nominaton applicaton shall be considered as Candidates may not withdraw their nominaton approved. The Ministry shall issue the candidate unless by virtue of a legal statement a fnal receipt confrming the registraton of authentcated by the notary and submited to their nominaton. the Ministry at least 45 days before Electon 3.Candidates whose nominaton applicatons Day. A withdrawal of nominaton announced have been rejected by the Ministry may, by the candidate afer the said deadline is not within 48 hours of notfcaton of such express recognized in the electoral process. rejecton, lodge a non dutable appeal to the If such withdrawal precludes the electon of the State Council who shall decide on the appeal required number of candidates in the concerned in the deliberaton room within 48 hours of consttuency, new nominaton applicatons receipt thereof. The State Council’s decision, in for the consituency may be accepted within this case, shall be fnal and not subject to any seven days from the date of the nominaton ordinary or extraordinary legal recourse. withdrawal. The deadlines provided for in Artcle 47 of the present law shall apply to the submission and administratve and judicial

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processing of nominaton applicatons. to organize themselves in lists in accordance with the provisions of this Artcle shall be Artcle 51: Announcing the names of accepted discarded. candidates Afer the expiry of the deadline for candidate Artcle 53: nominaton, the Ministry shall announce In the event of death of a candidate afer the the names of accepted candidates, transmit registraton of their list, the concerned list them, without delay, to the Governors, may nominate a replacement within a period District Commissioners and the Supervisory of ten days before Electon Day. Post-deadline Commission for Electons, and publish them nominatons are strictly allowed in this case. where necessary. Artcle 54: Candidate list registraton Artcle 52: Candidate lists Candidates must organize themselves into lists Candidates shall organize themselves into lists and authorize one of them by virtue of a power at least forty days before Electon Day. Each list of atorney signed by them all at the ofce of the shall include at least 40% of the number of seats notary, to submit the registraton applicaton in the consttuency- that is a minium of 3 seats- of the list to the Ministry within a maximum including one seat at least for each of the minor period of forty days before Electon Day. No lists consttuencies in consttuencies composed may be registered or amended afer the said of multple minor consttuencies. The largest deadline. The authorized representatve of the remainder shall be used in the calculaton of candidate list shall submit the following for the the minimum number of seats in single-seat list registraton: consttuencies. -The full names of all candidates of the list -The nominaton approval receipts of all The candidate list shall take responsibility for candidates of the list wastng the seat for which they fail to nominate -The order of candidate names on the list of the a candidate. minor consttuency Such seat shall be transferred to the candidate -A specifcaton of the consttuency for which nominated in other lists for the same confessional the list is nominated seat and having the highest preferental vote in -The name and representatve color of the list the same minor consttuency. -One color passport photo for every candidate -A statement of appointment of a fnancial The Ministry shall keep the order of the names auditor in accordance with the provisions of on the candidate lists according to which the the present law, and the appointed auditor’s candidates have organized themselves in the acceptance of such appointment. minor consttuencies, and shall not take into -A bank statement proving the existence of a account the withdrawal of any candidate from bank account opened for the list, in the name of the list afer its registraton. its authorized representatve.

The Ministry shall as well commit to placing the If the applicaton meets all legal requirements, lists on the ballot paper according to their date the Ministry shall issue (within 24 hours) a of registraton. receipt confrming the registraton of the list; however, if the applicaton is found lacking all or The applicatons of candidates who have failed part of the legal requirements, the Ministry may

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give the members of the list a 24-hour tme limit candidate or candidate list. to correct the applicaton for registraton, or otherwise have their applicaton rejected. The Artcle 58: Campaign spending tme limit shall start on the date of notfcaton In the present law, the term “campaign of the list representatve referred to in the spending” shall indicate all expenses paid by above paragraph. the list or candidate and all expenses paid for The Ministry’s decision to reject the registraton the account or beneft of either one of them, may be appealed to the State Council within a with their express or tacit consent, by natural or 24-hour tme limit from the date of notfcaton legal persons, politcal partes, associatons or of the list representatve referred to in the any other bodies, provided that such expenses above paragraph. The State Council shall decide directly serve the electoral campaign, votng on the appeal within a similar tme limit and process or legitmate communicaton between its decision, in this case, shall be fnal and not the candidate list or candidate and the voter, subject to any ordinary or extraordinary legal including: recourse. Securing the rent and other expenses of campaign ofces; organizing campaign- Artcle 55: Announcing the names of accepted related rallies, events, public meetngs and candidate lists banquets; expenses related to equipment used Immediately afer the expiry of the deadline for in the campaign; preparing, publishing and candidate list registraton specifed in Artcle 52 disseminatng media and advertsing material of the present Law, the Ministry shall announce through books, brochures, bulletns, leafets, the names of accepted candidate lists and their printed leters, or through post and electronic members, transmit them to the Governors, mail; preparing, disseminatng and postng District Commissioners and the Supervisory pictures, stckers, posters and billboards; Commission for Parliamentary Electons and paying compensaton or allowances in cash or publish them where necessary. in kind to the campaign staf and candidate agents; campaign staf and voter transport and Chapter V relocaton expenses; travel expenses of non- resident voters; expenses related to electoral Campaign Financing and Spending advertsing and opinion polls; any other expenses paid for the purposes of the campaign Artcle 56: Campaign fnancing to any radio or television broadcastng staton, The provisions of the present law shall apply newspaper, magazine or any other means of to the campaign fnancing as well as to the publicaton, including electronic means. spending of candidates and candidate lists during the electoral campaign period which Artcle 59: Campaign Bank Account and Auditor starts from the opening date of the candidate 1.Each candidate and candidate list shall open a nominaton period and ends at the closing of bank account known as the "electoral campaign the ballot boxes. account", at any bank operatng in Lebanon, and submit along with the nominaton statement, Artcle 57: Campaign contributons a statement from the bank confrming the All donatons, contributons, gifs in cash or in opening of such account and indicatng the kind, loans, advance payments, early payments account number and owner. or anything of material value provided for the 2.The legal requirement of bank secrecy shall

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not apply to the electoral campaign account. The or donatons from a foreign country or a non- candidate and candidate list shall be deemed Lebanese natural or legal person, whether to have waived their right to bank secrecy as directly or indirectly. regards the said account as soon as it is opened. 4.Contributons, in the sense of this law, do not 3.All contributons shall be collected and all include the services of volunteers. campaign expenses paid exclusively through 5.The campaign fnance contributon made by a this account during the entre campaign period. single natural or legal Lebanese person in favor 4.Each candidate and candidate list may of a candidate or candidate list shall not exceed establish their own procedure for the collecton 50% of the electoral spending limit specifed in of funds and contributons for campaign Artcle 61 of the present Law, and shall always fnancing purposes and the validaton of be made through a bank transacton (transfer, electoral expenses, subject to the provisions of cheque, Credit card...) subject to Artcle 59 (4) the present law. of the present law. Amounts above one million Lebanese pounds 6.The sum of contributons received by any shall only be collected and paid by cheque. candidate shall not exceed the electoral spending 5.When submitng their nominaton statement, limit specifed in Artcle 61 of the present Law. each candidate and candidate list must declare Contributons through an intermediary may not the name of their auditor by virtue of a leter be accepted. registered at a notary’s ofce and submited to the Commission. Artcle 61: Campaign spending limit 6.In cases whereby candidates or candidate lists The maximum amount that each candidate are unable to open a bank account and perform may spend during the campaign period shall be transactons thereon, for reasons beyond their determined according to the following: control, the funds dedicated for the electoral campaign of the candidate or list shall be The limit amount is composed of a fxed lump deposited with in a public fund established by sum of one hundred and ffy million Lebanese the Ministry of Finance, which shall replace the pounds and a variable sum determined by the bank account in all aspects. number of voters in the major consttuency in which the candidate may be elected, on the Artcle 60: Campaign spending and fnancing basis of fve thousand Lebanese pounds per 1.Candidates may spend sums of their own voter registered in the voter lists in the major money for their electoral campaign. The money consttuency. of the spouse or any of the ascendents or descendents of the candidate shall be regarded The campaign spending limit of a candidate list as the candidate's own money. is a fxed lump sum of one hundred ffy million All expenses incurred or paid by the candidate Lebanese pounds per candidate. from their own money for their electon campaign shall be subject to the electon This spending limit may be reconsidered at campaing spending limit. the opening of the campaign period in light 2.Campaign contributons to a candidate or of the economic conditons, by virtue of a candidate list may only be made by Lebanese decree adopted by the Council of Ministers at natural or legal persons. the suggeston of the Minister of Interior and 3.It is strictly forbidden for candidates and Municipalites and following consultatons with candidate lists to accept or receive contributons the Commission.

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Artcle 62: Prohibited actvites to the Commission within thirty days from 1.During the electoral campaign period, the date of publicaton of the ofcial electon commitments and disbursements that involve results, together with the documents the provision of services or payments to voters supportng all account items including receipts, shall be prohibited, including but not limited disbursement orders, etc., and a comprehensive to: gifs and cash and in-kind donatons to bank statement of the electoral campaign bank individuals, charites and social, cultural, family account showing all transactons executed on or religious organizatons, sports clubs and all this account from the date of its opening untl public insttutons. the date of submission of the balance sheet. 2.The above-mentoned gifs and donatons 3.A statement signed by the candidate and shall not be prohibited if they are provided by registered at a notary’s ofce shall be submited candidates or insttutons owned or managed by with the balance sheet. In this statement, candidates or partes who have been providing the candidate acknowledges, on their own such gifs and donatons in the same amounts responsibility, that the balance sheet is true and and quanttes on a regular and consistent basis comprehensive and includes all the proceeds for at least three years before the campaign collected and expenses paid or incurred for period. In such case, the payments and the campaign, and confrms the absence of any donatons ofered during the electon campaign other cash or in kind expenses or amounts paid are subject to the spending limit provided for in in cash, from other bank accounts or through Artcle 61 above. third persons. 4.If the balance sheet does not include any Artcle 63: Obligatons of the authorized auditor campaign-related proceeds or expenses, the The authorized auditor of each candidate and authorized auditor shall write a report on the candidate list shall submit to the Commission subject. periodically and within one week afer the end 5.The Commission shall examine and audit of each month of the campaign period a monthly the balance sheet of each candidate and carry statement of accounts including the receipts, out the necessary investgatons to verify its payments and fnancial obligatons of the accuracy or the accuracy of some of its elements, previous month, together with a statement of and may, for this purpose, recruit experts and the electoral campaign bank account issued by judicial police ofcers, upon the approval of the the authorized bank. At the end of their mission, competent Public Prosecutor’s Ofce. the auditor shall also submit to the candidate a 6.The Commission shall decide on the validity statement of account and management report. of the abovementoned balance sheet within thirty days from the date of submission thereof. Artcle 64: The overall balance sheet It shall decide whether to approve it or, afer 1.Afer the electons, each candidate and due consideraton of the adversarial system candidate list shall prepare an overall balance and the right to counsel, reject it or request its sheet authentcated by the authorized auditor adjustment or correcton in whole or in part. The and showing, in detail, the total of proceeds and Commission shall submit its reasoned decision contributons in kind, according to their sources in writng, together with the balance sheet, to and dates, and the total of expenses paid or the Consttutonal Council. due, according to their nature and dates, since If afer one month from the date of submission the beginning of the electoral campaign. of the balance sheet the Commission has not 2.The overall balance sheet shall be submited issued its decision thereon, the balance sheet

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shall be deemed to have been approved. 5.Criminal and civil actons relatng to ofenses 7.The Commission may reject balance sheets that set out in paragraph (2) above shall be dismissed are found inaccurate or exceeding the spending on grounds of prescripton afer six months from limit even afer correcton or adjustment the date of publicaton of the electon results. thereof. The Commission shall inform the 6.The Consttutonal Council’s decisions on Speaker of Parliament and the President of the electoral appeals shall have the force of res Consttutonal Council of such cases. judicata that is binding on all judicial and 8.If the Commission fnds that the value of administratve courts and state departments. one of the electoral expenses declared in the The claim and criminal prosecuton shall balance sheet and its annexes is less than the be processed based on the decision of the common and usually approved value for a Consttutonal Council. similar expense, the Commission shall, afer due consideraton of the adversarial system and Artcle 66: The penaltes applicable to balance the right to counsel, estmate the diference by sheet violatons comparing prices from diferent sources and 1.Candidates who failed to submit the notng such diference with the expenses. The comprehensive balance sheet provided for in diference shall thus be subject to the spending Artcle 64 of this Law shall be liable to a fne of limit provided for in this Law. one million Lebanese pounds per day of delay. 9.The provisions of paragraph 8 above shall The said fne shall be imposed by the Ministry at apply to direct or indirect benefts and all in- the request of the Commission. kind contributons and services from which the 2.Candidates who exceed the electoral spending candidate has benefted. limit shall be liable to a fne equivalent to three tmes the amount in excess of the limit, to be Artcle 65: Complaints and criminal prosecuton paid to the Treasury. And the Commission shall 1.The Commission shall refer the cases of refer the case to the Consttutonal Council. violaton of the provisions of this Chapter to the competent Public Prosecuton Ofce where Artcle 67: The fne it fnds that such violaton may be described as Non-winning candidates who failed to submit criminal ofense. the balance sheet shall be liable to a fne of one 2.Any person who intentonally commits a million Lebanese pounds per day of delay to be violaton shall in accordance with the provisions imposed by the Ministry pursuant to a report of the frst paragraph be liable to a term of issued by the Commission. imprisonment not exceeding six months and/ or a fne of 50 to 100 million Lebanese pounds, Non-winning candidates who have exceeded without prejudice to the penaltes of criminal the electoral spending limit shall be liable to a ofenses stpulated in the Penal Code and special fne equivalent to three tmes the amount in penal laws. excess of the limit. 3.The disbursement of prohibited electoral expenses mentoned in Artcle 61 of the present Law shall be considered as bribery under the Penal Code. 4.The penaltes provided for in paragraph (2) above shall apply to legal persons in accordance with Artcle 210 of the Penal Code.

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Chapter VI a variety of legitmate events to present their electoral platorm in an appropriate approach Electoral Media and Advertsing and manner consistent with the laws and regulatons. Artcle 68: Defnitons Artcle 70: The electoral campaign period For the purposes of this law, the terms below, During the electoral campaign period which, as whether in singular or plural form, shall have provided for in the present law, starts from the the following meanings : date of submission of a candidate nominaton and ends at the closing of the ballot boxes, all Electoral media: electoral material communicated through the Any media material such as news, analyses, various media and advertsing outlets shall be statements, interviews, debates, discussions, subject to the provisions of this Chapter. reports, press conferences and meetngs, directly or indirectly related to the electons and Artcle 71: Paid electoral advertsing and transmited without charge during the regular broadcast or special programs of a media outlet. a. Paid electoral advertsing and broadcast through media and advertsing Electoral advertsing: outlets shall be allowed in accordance with the Any media material related to the candidates’ following provisions: platorms, electoral campaigns and electoral and 1.Media and advertsing outlets wishing to politcal positons, flmed at the media outlet partcipate in electoral advertsing and broadcast studios or elsewhere, and that the candidates actvites shall submit to the Commission at wish to communicate to the voters and thus pay least ten days prior to the beginning of the a fee to have it transmited during the media electoral campaign period, a declaraton of outlet programs dedicated to that end. intent to partcipate, in additon to a price list and a specifcaton of the slots that they wish to Electoral broadcast: dedicate for electoral advertsing or broadcast. Any material or publicaton promotng a 2.Media and advertsing outlets shall abide by candidate and transmited or published in the price list and specifcaton of slots provided exchange for a fee during the breaks and in the by them and may not reject any electoral slots reserved for commercial advertsement in broadcast required by a list or candidate. media and advertsing outlets. 3.Media and advertsing outlets that fail to submit their declaraton of intent within the Electoral material: specifed period may not engage in any electon- The term electoral material covers the three related advertsing or broadcast during the notons of electoral media, electoral advertsing entre campaign period. and electoral broadcast. 4.Media and advertsing outlets shall clearly state during the transmission or publicaton Media outlets: of electoral advertsements that such Any public or private, visual, audio, printed or advertsements are paid, and specify the client electronic media outlet, whatever its technology. who requested their transmission or publicaton. 5.Media and advertsing outlets shall not accept Artcle 69: The electoral platorm free advertsing or advertsing for a fee not Each candidate or candidate list may organize consistent with the price list provided by them.

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6.The candidate and their legal representatve electoral campaign period, by issuing binding shall submit to the Commission and the media recommendatons to the media, so as to ensure and advertsing outlets a copy of the electoral a fair, balanced and impartal treatment for all broadcast or advertsement flm, together with candidates and candidate lists. a transmission or publicaton booking request 3.Paragraph (1) above shall apply to all politcal in writng, at least three days prior to the date and general news programs, including news specifed for the frst run or printng of the bulletns, politcal talk shows, interviews, broadcast or advertsement. meetngs, dialogues, round tables and live 7.Every media or advertsing outlet shall coverage of electoral events, which remain free submit a weekly report to the Commission, of charge. including a list of all electoral advertsements 4.The Commission shall ensure equal media and broadcasts that have been transmited or visibility for all candidates and candidate lists, published during the past week, along with the and shall thus request the media outlet that transmission tmes or publicaton dates of each, hosts a candidate or list representatve to and the fee incurred. secure in return the hostng of their opponents 8.No candidate may allocate to one media or in similar conditons in terms of tming, duraton advertsing outlet more than 50% of their total and program type. advertsing or broadcast spending dedicated for 5.The Commission shall have the authority each category of media or advertsing outlets. to decide whether it is required to have the appearance of candidates on satellite b.The Commission shall determine the media accounted for as part of the media or maximum slot size allowed for every media adverstsing slots allocated by the Commission or advertsing outlet to transmit or publish to each list or candidate, and the extent to informatve or promotonal programs on the which this consideraton shall apply. candidates or candidate lists, and specify the 6.The Commission shall initate prompt tme for transmitng or publishing such slots. investgaton in any complaint submited by c. In the determinaton and distributon of the the afected list or candidate and decide to maximum slot sizes, the Commission shall take refer such complaint to the competent Court of into account the requirements of fairness as well Publicatons within 24 hours from the date of as the candidates’ right to equal media visibility submission thereof. within the limits of the law and the legitmate Media outlets are required to keep a recorded electoral competton according to the criteria archive of all the programs aired during the set forth above. campaign period for six months afer the date of the end of the electons. Artcle 72: The Commission’s monitoring of 7.Prior to the start of the electoral process, the media outlets Commission shall determine the criteria that 1.The Commission shall monitor the allow the distncton between electoral media commitment of the media in Lebanon to the and electoral advertsing. The Commission may provisions governing electoral advertsing in at all tmes verify whether a media show or this Law and the decisions taken in applicaton program hides any illegal electoral advertsing of such provisions. under the guise of electoral media, and shall 2.The Commission shall ensure respect for take all legal measures to put an end to such freedom of expression of various opinions and illegal practces. ideologies in the media programs during the

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Artcle 73: The obligatons of public media -Refrain from broadcastng any material outlets that incites confessional, sectarian or ethnic 1.A candidate or candidate list may use the strife, provokes violence or riots, or promotes public media outlets free of charge to present terrorism, crime or subversive acts. their electoral platorm in accordance with the -Refrain from broadcastng any material provisions of this law and the rules established that would consttute a means for exercising by the Commission. pressure, intmidaton, intmaton of disloyalty, 2.Each candidate or candidate list wishing accusaton of unbelief, hint of bribery or promise to use this right shall submit a request to the of material or moral gain. Commission in writng. The Commission shall -Refrain from distortng, obscuring, falsifying, draw up a list of the names of candidates and omitng or misrepresentng informaton. candidate lists authorized to use public media -Refrain from relaying or rerunning any material outlets. containing the above violatons under the 3.The Commission shall prepare a schedule penalty of holding the media outlet liable for specifying the dates and conditons for the violatng the provisions of the present law. distributon of broadcastng tmes between the various lists and candidates, while maintaining Artcle 75: Electoral educaton programs balanced broadcastng tmes, to ensure fair During the electoral campaign period, the and equal opportunites for all candidates and audiovisual media outlets shall devote at least candidate lists. three hours per week to air electoral educaton 4.Public media outlets shall commit to programs co-produced by the Ministry of remaining neutral at all stages of the electoral Informaton and the Ministry of Interior process. Neither they nor any of their agents and Municipalites in coordinaton with the or employees shall carry out any actvity that concerned media outlets. may be construed as supportng a candidate or candidate list at the expense of another Artcle 76: Spots and locatons reserved for candidate or candidate list. electoral advertsement 1.The competent local authority shall designate, Artcle 74: The obligatons of private media under the supervision of the administratve outlets authority, the spots and locatons in every city 1.Private media outlets may not declare their or town where electoral advertsements and support for any candidate or candidate list. images may be posted and placed during the Subject to the principle of independence, private electoral campaign period. media outlets shall make a clear distncton 2.Postng or placing any electoral advertsement between facts on the one hand, and opinions or pictures of candidates or candidate lists and comments on the other, in their various outside the designated spots and locatons is news bulletns or politcal programs during the prohibited. A candidate or candidate list may electoral campaign period. not post or place advertsements or pictures on 2.During the electoral campaign period, spots or locatons allocated to other candidates private media outlets as well as candidates and or candidate lists. It is the responsibility of candidate lists shall: the candidate or candidate list to remove the -Refrain from commitng defamaton, libel abovementoned violatons. and slander against any of the candidates and 3.The competent local authority shall distribute candidate lists. the spots and locatons specifed in accordance

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with paragraph 1 of this Artcle between the to reportng on the progress of the electoral candidates and candidate lists according to process. the order of submission of their nominaton applicatons. Artcle 79: Opinion polls The local authorites and the companies 1.The Commission shall determine the investng in the spots and locatons designated conditons for carrying out opinion polls during for electoral advertsing shall cooperate with the electoral campaign and specify the principles the Commission for the proper implementaton to be followed in order to ensure the credibility, of the provisions of this Artcle. impartality and neutrality of the poll. 4.No candidate or candidate party may transfer 2.The Commission shall determine the terms the spots and locatons allocated for their own and conditons for publishing broadcastng electoral advertsements to other candidates or and distributng opinion poll results during candidate lists. the electoral campaign period. It shall be fully empowered to verify the conformity of the Artcle 77: Prohibitons opinion polls with the laws and regulatons 1.Public facilites, government departments, and the decision of the Commission, and shall public insttutons, universites, colleges, take all necessary measures against the media, insttutes, public and private schools and places poll insttutons or any other person to stop or of worship shall not be used for holding electoral correct the violatons. events, meetngs and rallies or for campaigning. 3.The insttuton that conducted the poll, shall 2.Civil servants and employees of public clarify at least the following informaton, at the insttutons, municipalites, unions of announcement, publicaton, transmission or municipalites and other similar persons may distributon of the poll results: not promote a specifc candidate or candidate -Name of the insttuton that conducted the list. They may not distribute leafets that are in poll. favor of or against any candidate or candidate -Name of the insttuton that requested and list. funded the poll. 3.It is prohibited to distribute leafets or any -The dates on which the poll was conducted in other documents in favor of or against a specifc the feld. candidate or candidate list throughout Electon -The polled sample size, opinion and method of Day at the gates of polling centers or any other selecton and distributon. place inside the polling center, subject to -The technique used in the survey. confscaton thereof, without prejudice to the -The verbatm text of the questons asked. other penaltes provided for in this law. -The limits of interpretaton of the results and the margin of error, where applicable. Artcle 78: Pre-electon silence period 4.It is prohibited during the ten days leading up Startng at exactly 24 hours before Electon to Electon Day and untl the closing of all ballot Day and untl the closing of the ballot boxes, boxes, to publish, broadcast or distribute in all media outlet shall be prohibited from any way, any opinion poll and comments made broadcastng any electoral advertsement or live thereon. campaining, except for unavoidable voices and / or images captured in the live coverage of the Artcle 80: Media coverage of the votng and electoral process. countng processes On Electon Day, media coverage shall be limited Media outlets wishing to partcipate in the media

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coverage of votng and countng processes appeal the decision to the Court of Cassaton shall turn to the Commission to obtain writen within 24 hours startng, for the former, from permits for this purpose in accordance with the the tme of issue of the decision, and for the provisions of the Artcle 19 (2) of the present later, from the tme of notfcaton thereof. law, and shall adhere to the Code of Conduct •The appeal shall not suspend the executon established by the Commission. of the decision unless the Court of Cassaton decides to suspend its executon within 24 hours Artcle 81: Penaltes and fnes startng from the tme of fling of the appeal. 1.Subject to the provisions of the Penal Code, the Publicatons Law and the Audiovisual Media 2.Subject to the provisions of the Penal Code, Law, the Commission may take any of the two the Commission may take any of the measures actons below that it deems appropriate against below, as it deems appropriate, against any any media or advertsing outlet that breaches insttuton that conducts opinion polls or any the provisions of this Chapter: other person who violates Artcle 79 of the a. Addressing a warning to the media outlet in present Law: breach or obliging it to transmit an apology or a. Addressing a warning. allow the breached candidate to exercise the right of reply; b. Imposing an obligaton to transmit an apology b. Referring the media outlet in breach to the or correcton through the media. competent Court of Publicatons who may c. Imposing a fne of ten to twenty-fve million take any of the measures below, as it deems Lebanese pounds, by virtue of a payment appropriate: order issued by the Ministry of Interior and • Imposing a fnancial fne of ffy to one hundred Municipalites at the request of the Commission. million Lebanese pounds on the media outlet in This fne shall be doubled if the ofense occurs breach. during the pre-electon period of silence. • Imposing a partal interrupton of operaton of the media outlet in breach, for a period Artcle 82: Claims of damage not exceeding three days, provided that such Persons who are afected by any of the violatons interrupton applies to all politcal and news above may claim damages. programs, bulletns, interviews and debates. • In the event of recurrent breach, imposing Artcle 83: Correcton and the right of reply a total interrupton of operaton of the media The media outlets shall broadcast and publish in breach and closing all of its programs for a the correctons and replies received from maximum period of three days. candidates and candidate lists within 24 hours of The Public Prosecutor may take legal acton disseminaton of the protested news. The media against the media outlet in breach, either on its outlets reserve the right to refuse to broadcast own moton, before the Court of Publicatons, the reply if it is against the law. or at the request of the afected party. The media outlet in breach shall submit its response Chapter VII to the Court within 24 hours from the tme of notfcaton thereof. Votng The Court of Publicatons shall issue its decision within 24 hours at the most. Each of the Public Artcle 84: The electronic magnetc card Prosecutor and sentenced media outlet may The Government shall, by virtue of a decree

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to be issued by the Council of Ministers at the civil servants are informed of their assignment suggeston of the Minister and with the approval staton in the governorate or caza only fve days of a two-thirds majority of the Council members, before Electon Day. take the necessary measures to approve the 2.The head ofcer of the polling staton shall use of the electronic magnetc card in the have two assistants, one of whom shall be next electons and submit to the Parliament chosen by the head ofcer from among the the amendments to this law required for the voters present at the opening of the polling adopton of the electronic magnetc card. staton. Other voters shall choose one of them to be the second assistant. Both assistants shall Artcle 85: Polling centers and statons be literate. The head ofcer shall write the The electoral consttuency shall be divided by names of both assistants in the polling staton virtue of a decision of the Minister to several report provided for in this law, and have them polling centers that contain several polling sign it. The Muhafz or Qaimqam may appoint statons. Every village containing between one reserve staf when needed. hundred and four hundred voters shall have one 3.The head ofcer and clerk shall be present polling staton. in the polling staton throughout the electoral process. More than four hundred voters may be assigned 4.The head ofcer shall have the exclusive to one polling staton if so required for ensuring authority to maintain order inside the polling the integrity of the electoral process, provided staton. Security forces may only stay inside that the number of voters per polling staton the polling staton at the request of the head does not exceed six hundred voters. The number ofcer, temporarily, and for the strict purpose of of polling statons in each polling center shall ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. not exceed twenty. 5.The head ofcers may not, in any case, prevent The Minister's decision on the distributon candidates or their authorized agents and of polling statons shall be published in the observers from exercising the right to monitor Ofcial Gazete and on the Ministry's website the electoral actvites, nor may they force any at least twenty days prior to Electon Day. The candidate or list agent out of the polling staton, distributon may not be amended during the unless they have been disturbing the order week leading up to Electon Day except on despite warnings given and noted in the report. substantal grounds and by virtue of a reasoned 6.If the head ofcer takes such a measure, they decision. shall write a report on the incident whereby they state the facts and reasons that called for Artcle 86: Polling staton ofcers and their such measure and the tme of its occurrence. functons The report shall be signed by the head ofcer 1.The Governor (Muhafz) or District and other agents present and immediately Commissioner (Qaimqam) shall appoint, each submited to the competent registraton within their own region, one head ofcer and commitee. one or several clerks for each polling staton, to 7.Any employee who without a legitmate be selected from lists containing the names of excuse fails to join the polling staton to which civil servants sent to them by the Directorate they had been appointed as head ofcer or clerk General for Politcal Afairs and Refugees at shall be liable to imprisonment for a period of the Ministry, not later than one week before one month or a fne of one million Lebanese Electon Day, and provided that the appointed pounds. In such case, only medical reports

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prepared by the ofcial medical commitee are voter lists the checklists to be used in all polling accepted. statons in Lebanon and abroad. Each checklist 8.Head ofcers and clerks who violate their shall contain, in additon to the voter lists’ obligatons and act in breach of the principles data, the voter’s ID card number and passport specifed in the present law shall be liable to number if available on the date of preparaton three months to three years imprisonment or a of checklists, and three empty colums: the frst fne of one to three million Lebanese pounds. being for the voter’s signature, the second for In such case, and contrary to the provisions of the signature of the polling ofcer in charge of Artcle 61 of the Civil Servants Law promulgated verifying the vote, and the third for possible by virtue of Legislatve Decree No. 112/59 on remarks on the votng process. 12/6/1959, public prosecuton may be initated 2.All the pages of a polling staton’s checklist by a personal claim fled by the candidate, by shall be bound together, numbered and marked the Public Prosecutor, or at the request of with the stamp of the Ministry. the president of the competent registraton 3.Only voters who have their name included commitee, and does not require the approval on the checklist of the polling staton or have of the department to which the civil servant obtained a decision from the registraton reports. commitee to have their name registered before March 25 upon consultaton with the Ministry, Artcle 87: Votng schedule may vote. Polling shall start at 7:00 am and end at 7:00 pm in all Lebanese regions, and last for one day, Artcle 90: Candidate agents always a Sunday. 1.Each candidate shall have the right to appoint voters from the electoral consttuency as Artcle 88: Early votng permanent agents allowed to enter the polling The Ministry shall organize early votng for staton, by reason of one permanent agent per polling ofcers in all consttuencies, on the polling staton. They may also appoint voters Thursday preceding Electon Day. from the electoral consttuency as mobile agents Once the number of ballots contained in every allowed to enter all the polling statons of the ballot box has been counted, all ballot boxes consttuency, by reason of one mobile agent for used in the polling ofcers’ polling statons shall every two polling statons in the villages and be sealed and immediately sent- while sealed- one agent for every three polling statons in the with security forces escort, to the Banque du cites. Liban or any of its branches. At the end of the 2.The Muhafz or Qaimqam shall issue special votng process on Sunday, these ballot boxes permits for the candidate agents in accordance shall be sent to the competent registraton with the rules to be determined by the Ministry. commitee who shall sort them and combine their results with those of the other ballot boxes. Artcle 91: Security This process shall be subject to the regulatons Security forces shall maintain order at the provided for in Chapter Eleven of the present entrances and near polling centers. Electoral Law. actvity and propaganda, especially the use of loudspeakers, loud music, party fags and Artcle 89: Voters checklists motorcades shall be prohibited near the polling 1.The Directorate General of Politcal Afairs and center. Refugees at the Ministry shall extract from the

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Artcle 92: Polling staton supplies Artcle 94: Pre-electon preparatons 1.The Ministry shall provide each polling staton 1.Prior to the commencement of the votng with all that the electoral process requires process, the head ofcer shall open the ballot in terms of supplies, statonery and printed box and verify with other polling ofcers and material, in additon to a single-slot ballot box candidate agents that it is empty before sealing made of solid transparent material. it properly, in accordance with the instructons 2.The Ministry shall provide the head ofcers of of the Ministry. polling statons with an amount of ofcial pre- 2.An ofcial copy of the voter list specifc to printed ballot papers and stamped envelopes the polling staton and a copy of the Minister's equivalent to the number of registered voters, decision establishing the polling staton shall be and an extra amount of ofcial ballot papers posted at the entrance of each polling staton and unstamped envelopes equivalent to 20% of for the duraton of the electoral process. A copy the number of registered voters. of the electoral law and a list containing the 3.Each polling staton shal have one or several names of candidate agents shall be placed on a votng booth. table inside the polling staton, and posters and 4.Votng in the absence of the votng booth is informatve materials explaining the course of prohibited and shall lead to the invalidaton the electoral process shall be made available to of the votng process in the concerned polling the voters, candidates and their agents. staton. 3.The head ofcer of the polling staton shall be responsible for removing all types of Artcle 93: Ballot papers pictures, symbols, writngs or slogans, other 1.Voters shall use the ofcial ballot papers than the informatve material provided by the provided for in the present Law, which are Ministry, from the polling staton before the prepared in advance by the Ministry for each commencement of the votng process untl its minor consttuency and distributed with the completon. electoral materials to the polling staton ofcers. 4.Prior to the commencement of the votng 2.The ofcial ballot papers shall contain the process, the head ofcer of the polling staton names of all candidate lists and members shall ensure that the number of ballot papers thereof, in additon to the specifcatons provided is equal to the number of registered presented in the model ballot prepared by voters. the Ministry, namely: the representatve color In the event of a shortage of ballot papers due and name of the list and an empty box next to to a force majeure that afects the validity of the each list, the full name and confession of each votng or to any other reason, the head ofcer candidate and either the minor consttuency shall replace the lacking ballot papers with the or the consttuency that is not composed of extra ballot papers that they had been delivered, minor consttuencies, for which the candidate is afer datng and marking them with the stamp nominated. A passport photo of each candidate of the polling staton date and documentng shall be placed next to their name together with the grounds for such replacement in the polling a small empty box where the voter may mark staton report. Unused extra ballot papers shall their preferental vote in accordance with the be atached to the report. provisions of this law. 5.Permanent and mobile candidate agents are 3.Voters may only use such ofcial ballot papers allowed to use computers, tablets and mobile to vote and may not use any other forms of phones inside polling statons. ballot papers to exercise their right to vote.

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Artcle 95: The votng process 7.The voter may not delegate any other person 1.When the voter enters the polling staton, to vote on their behalf. the head ofcer shall verify their identty by checking their identty card or valid ordinary Artcle 96: Voters with special needs Lebanese passport. If a material diference is 1.In accordance with the provisions of the law notced between the identty card or passport on the Rights of People with Disabilites, voters data and the checklist data, the identty card with special needs or sufering from disability number of passport number shall be the basis preventng them from marking their choice and for verifcaton. placing the ballot paper inside the envelope 2.Afer the polling staton ofcers have verifed and castng it in the ballot box may be assisted that the name of the voter is included in the by another voter of their choice, under the polling staton checklist, the head ofcer shall supervision of the polling staton ofcers. Such hand to the voter a ballot paper signed on its occurrence shall be noted in the “comments” back side by the head ofcer and clerk, and column on the checklist. an envelope ofcially signed and stamped 2.The Ministry shall take into account the needs by the head ofcer, and request the voter to of people with disabilites when organizing mandatorily go behind the booth and freely electons and facilitate the procedures allowing exercise their right to vote, under penalty of them to exercise their right to vote unobstructed. being prevented from votng. 3.The voter shall mark the list or candidate The Ministry shall establish the implementaton name of his choice in accordance with Artcle 98 regulatons of the present Artcle upon of the present law. consultaton with the specialized associatons The voter shall return toward the polling staton for people with disabilites. ofcers and show the head ofcer that they hold one sealed and folded ballot paper only. Artcle 97: Conclusion of the votng process The head ofcer of the polling staton shall The head ofcer of the polling staton shall verify that without touching the paper before announce the end of the votng process at 7:00 allowing the voter to personally cast the ballot pm. However, if there are voters present in the in the ballot box. polling center, who have not yet voted, the 4.The head ofcer of the polling staton shall votng period shall be extended so as to allow make sure that the voters use the votng booth them to vote. Such occurrence shall be noted in under penalty of preventng them from votng. the polling staton report. The voters may not disclose their ballot afer exitng the votng booth. Chapter VIII 5.A voter’s vote is validated by the voter’s signature on the checklist and by having their The Electoral System thumb marked with a 24-hour indelible ink supplied by the Ministry to all polling statons. Artcle 98: The list-based votng and the Voters who already have their thumb marked preferental vote shall thus be prevented from votng again. 1.Each voter is enttled to vote for one of the 6.The head ofcer of the polling staton shall competng lists, and may as well give one be responsible for preventng any voter from preferental vote for a candidate from the castng their vote should they act in breach of minor-consttuency and the same list they have the provisions of paragraph (4) of this Artcle. voted for.

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2.If no preferental vote is marked by the of preferental votes, ans so forth. voter, the list vote remains valid and shall 5.Afer having determined the number of count. However, if the voter marks more than seats obtained by each qualifying list, the one preferental vote on the list, none of the names of candidates shall be combined on preferental votes but only the list vote shall one comprehensive list, in decending order on count. basis of the percentage of preferental votes 3.If a voter votes for one list but give their obtained by each candidate either in their preferental vote on another list or on the list minor consttuency or their consttuency that is of a minor consttuency to which they do not not composed of minor consttuencies. belong, the preferental vote shall not count and The percentage of preferental votes obtained only the list vote shall count. by each candidate is calculated by dividing the 4.If the voter does not vote for any list but sum of preferental votes obtained by them by marks one preferental vote on one list, the the total number of preferental votes obtained preferental vote and a list vote shall count. by the qualifying lists in the minor consttuency or the consttuency that is not composed of Artcle 99: The proportonal representaton minor consttuencies. If two candidates have system equal percentages of preferental votes, the 1.The number of seats obtained by each list is older candidate shall be placed higher on the determined based on the electoral quotent. list, and if both candidates are of the same age, 2.The electoral quotent is obtained by dividing the higher registraton commitee shall decide the number of the voters in each of the major on the mater by drawing lots. consttuencies by the number of seats to fll in 6.The allocaton of seats to the winning each. candidates shall start from the top of the 3.Lists that do not achieve the electoral comprehensive list that contains the names quotent are excluded from the seat allocaton, of all candidates of various lists. Thus, the frst and the electoral quotent is re-calculated afer seat is allocated to the candidate who has the deducton of the votes obtained by such lists. highest percentage of preferental votes, and the 4.The remaining seats are allocated, one afer second seat to the candidate ranked second on another, to the qualifying lists that have obtained the comprehensive list, irrespectve of the list of the largest remainder afer the frst division, and their nominaton. The third and all subsequent this process is repeated in the same way untl all seats are allocated in the same manner untl all the remaining seats have been flled. the seats of the consttuency are allocated to If one seat is remaining and two qualifying lists the candidates of other qualifying lists. have an equal largest remainder, the seat shall be 7.The allocaton of seats to candidate lists shall allocated to the list that had obtained the higher be subject to the following two conditons: number of seats. And if both lists had obtained -The seat to be allocated should be vacant an equal number of seats, the remaining seat according to the confessional distributon of shall be allocated to the list whose frst-placed seats and/or seat distributon in the minor candidate has obtained the higher percentage consttuency, since afer the share of seats of of preferental votes. And if the frst-placed a given confession and/or minor consttuency candidates of both lists have obtained equal within the electoral consttuency is flled, the percentages of preferental votes, the seat shall remaining candidates of the same confession be allocated to the list whose second-placed and/ or minor consttuency are automatcally candidate has obtained the higher percentage removed from the competton.

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-The list should not have flled its share of seats. Artcle 102: Invalid ballot papers When the seat allocaton process reaches the Non-ofcial ballot papers and ballot papers name of a candidate who belongs to a list that containing additonal marks that are not has already flled its share of seats, the said provided for in the present law shall be candidate shall be skipped. considered invalid. The head ofcer of the polling staton shall Chapter IX have the invalid ballot papers signed by the polling staton ofcers, atach them to the Vote Countng and Publicaton of report and menton the grounds for such acton. Results The number of invalid ballot papers shall be deducted from of the total number of voters. Artcle 100: Vote countng inside polling statons Artcle 103: Blank ballots Upon conclusion of the votng process, votng Ballot papers that do not include any list vote or is closed and only the polling staton ofcers, preferental votes are considered blank ballots permanent and/or mobile candidate agents, and shall be counted with the valid votes. accredited observers and media representatves authorized by the Commission to cover and flm Artcle 104: The publicaton of polling staton the votng process inside polling statons shall results be allowed to stay inside the polling staton. 1.Afer the ofcial ballot papers have been The head ofcer of the polling staton shall open counted, the head ofcer shall announce and the ballot box and empty the ballot papers sign the preliminary results and immediately contained in it. If the count of the ballot papers post a report of such results at the entrance exceeds or falls below the count of actual voters of the polling staton, and issue a true copy according to the checklists, the diference shall thereof to candidates or candidate agents at be noted in the polling staton report. their request. The head ofcer of the polling staton shall open 2.The results report shall include the number of each ballot paper separately and read out loud votes obtained by each list and the number of the name of the voted list and the name of the preferental votes obtained by each candidate. candidate who received the preferental vote, under the efectve supervision of the candidates Artcle 105: The polling staton report or their agents, and accredited observers, if any. Afer having announced the preliminary results of the polling staton, the head ofcer of the Artcle 101: Polling staton equipment polling staton shall organize the polling staton The Ministry shall equip the polling statons report, on two copies, and have all of its pages with special cameras and television sets so that signed by the polling staton ofcers. cameras may be used to display the content of ballot papers on the television screen, thus The head ofcer of the polling staton shall put allowing the polling ofcers, candidate agents the checklists signed by the voters as well as and accredited observers to have easy access all the ballot papers, the polling staton report, to the lists and the names marked on the ballot and the vote tally sheet containing the votes paper during the countng process. obtained by the lists and candidates in a special envelope.

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This envelope shall be sealed with red wax and Refugees at the Ministry of Interior and and delivered by the head ofcer and their Municipalites shall designate an employee to assistant with security escort to the registraton receive the polling staton envelopes, ballot commitee ofce and handed with the papers and documents consecutvely appended documents it contains to the president of the thereto afer being processed by the registraton registraton commitee or his representatve commitee. The designated employee shall who shall open it in the presence of candidate sign a statement of receipt upon receiving the representatves. envelope and documents of each polling staton. The head ofcer and clerk of the polling staton shall be held liable if the envelope has been Artcle 107: The publicaton of fnal results delivered open or inconsistent with the results The higher registraton commitee in each report. electoral consttuency shall receive the fgures submited to it by the registraton commitees Artcle 106: Vote countng by the Registraton of the same consttuency. Commitees The higher registraton commitee shall verify 1.The competent registratons commitee shall the schedules and reports and may only correct receive the reports of all polling statons located material and calculaton errors, if any, and adjust within their jurisdicton. Report delivery shall the result accordingly. be made through the head ofcer by virtue of a It shall count the votes received from the report organized for this purpose. The Ministry primary registraton commitees using computer shall provide the registraton commitees sofware designed for this purpose and note with the necessary supplies, namely, a large the fnal result of the consttuency on the fnal transparent container for the ballot papers, schedule, in numbers and leters followed by computer sofware, a large screen to display the word “only”, and have all its members sign the results, and any other equipment items that the report and fnal general schedule. would ensure a proper computerizaton of the The higher registraton commitee shall then electoral process. announce before the candidate or candidate 2.The registraton commitees shall look into the agents the fnal results or the number of seats reports and documents and take the necessary obtained by each list and the names of winning decisions thereon. candidates. The votes of each polling staton shall be counted using the computer sofware that processes the The high registraton commitee shall submit count automatcally. to the Muhafz or Qaimqam, each according A manual re-count shall be made if the polling to their responsibility, the fnal report and staton report results are found inconsistent general schedule of results, and shall prepare with the the computer-based results. a receipt and delivery report to be signed by Upon verifcaton of the count of votes the Muhafz or Qaimqam and a member of the obtained by each list and each candidate, the higher registraton commitee designated by the vote count result shall be submited to the president of the higher registraton commitee. higher registraton commitee in the major consttuency in schedules and reports prepared The results shall be sent immediately with the fnal by the registraton commitee, in two copies, report and general schedule atached thereto to and signed by all commitee members. the Ministry of Interior and Municipalites who The Directorate General for Politcal Afairs shall announce the fnal ofcial results and the

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names of the winning candidates. The Minister of its public departments and insttutons, or shall immediately communicate the results to municipalites or unions of municipalites or any the Speaker of Parliament and the President of of the insttutons or companies mentoned in the Consttutonal Council. paragraph (1) of this Artcle.

Artcle 108: Ballot paper storage arrangements Any of the persons above who is elected as The ballot papers shall be confdentally stored member of parliament shall have their legal at the Banque du Liban in packages, each agency deemed to have been automatcally indicatng the polling staton they had been terminated. received from, for a period of three months from the date of the publicaton of the results. Artcle 110: Prohibited professional actvites At the end of the said period, the ballot papers A member of parliament shall not be granted shall be destroyed by the Ministry of Interior any exclusive or concession rights or contracts by and Municipalites by virtue of a duly organized the State or public insttutons or municipalites. report, unless they are the subject to review or The same prohibiton applies to the spouse and appeal before the Consttutonal Council. children who shall be regarded as one person.

Chapter X Chapter XI The Incompatbility between Out of Country Votng Parliamentary Ofce and other Artcle 111: The non-resident citzens’ right to Functons vote Any non-resident Lebanese citzen shall be Artcle 109: Special incompatbility cases enttled to exercise the right to vote in polling 1.A member of parliament may not at the same centers established in embassies, consulates tme hold the positon of board chair or member or other places specifed by the Ministry in in any public insttuton or public right insttuton accordance with the provisions of the present or employee at any public administraton, public law and in coordinaton with the Ministry of insttuton, municipality, union of municipalites, Foreign Afairs and Emigrants, provided that franchise, mixed economy company or public their name is registered in the personal status capital company. records and that there is no legal impediment to Members of parliament may not simultaneously their right to vote pursuant to the provisions of hold any religious positon the holder of which Artcle 4 of the present law. receives a salary or compensaton from the

State treasury. Artcle 112: Non-resident candidates Any of the persons above who is elected as The parliament reserves six seats for non- member of parliament shall be automatcally residents candidates, equally divided between deemed to have been dismissed from ofce Christans and Muslims on the basis of one seat unless they notfy their rejecton of parliament for each of the Maronite, Orthodox, Catholic, membership within a month following the Sunni, Shiite, Druze confessions, and equally announcement of the result of their electon. distributed to the six contnents.

2.A member of parliament may not at the same tme legally represent the State or any

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Artcle 113: Voter registraton Artcle 115: Publicaton and revision of separate In a framework of coordinaton with the Ministry voter lists of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants through the 1.Before the frst of February of each year, Lebanese embassies and consulates abroad, the Ministry shall send to the embassies and the Ministry shall invite the Lebanese citzens consulates of Lebanon abroad, through the who meet the abovementoned eligibility Ministry of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants, the requirements to declare their wish to vote preliminary voter lists on CDs, containing the abroad by registering their names either names of persons who have expressed their in person, or by virtue of a duly signed and wish to vote abroad in accordance with the authentcated leter, or through electronic provisions of the present law. registraton if available. 2.The Ministry of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants shall publish and circulate the above lists The Ministry shall establish, in cooperaton with using all possible means and invite the voters the Ministry of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants, to review and revise them as necessary. Each the regulatons for non-resiendent voter embassy and consulate shall provide copies of registraton at the embassies or consulates such lists at its ofces and publish them on its of their choice and specify all the informaton website if available. required regarding their identty card, register 3.Any interested party may submit an objecton number, confession and normal Lebanese to the voter lists before the embassy or the passport number, if available. consulate, and enclose the required documents and papers therewith. The embassy or consulate The deadline for registraton must not exceed shall verify the documents and send them to the the twenteth of November of the year leading Ministry through the Ministry of Foreign Afairs up to the parliamentary electons date, afer and Emigrants before the twenteth of February which the right to vote abroad shall be withheld. of each year. The revision of voter lists and The embassies shall send the registraton lists correcton and removal of registraton entries to the Directorate General of Personal Status shall be subject to the principles and procedures through the Ministry of Foreign Afairs and set forth in Chapter Four (IV) of this law. Emigrants before the twenteth of December. Artcle 116: The designaton of polling statons Artcle 114: Separate voter lists The Ministry shall send through the Ministry The competent departments at the Directorate of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants, the number General for Personal Status shall verify that the of voters eligible to exercise the right to vote names on the lists are registered in the Personal in each embassy or consulate, each of which Status Register and prepare, afer the expiraton shall designate one polling staton or more if of the deadline for registraton, separate voter the number of voters registered in the polling lists for each embassy or consulate, containing center exceeds four hundred voters. the names of eligible voters, provided that The polling statons shall be desginated by virtue the minimum number of registered voters per of a decree issued by the Council of Ministers electoral center is 200. They shall also mark the at the suggeston of the Minister of Interior names of such voters and menton the place of and Municipalites afer coordinaton with their registraton outside Lebanon to prevent the Minister of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants, them from votng in their original place of at least twenty days prior to the scheduled residence. date of the electons. The polling statons may

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not be changed during the week preceding Afer the polling staton ofcers have verifed the scheduled date of the electons except on that the name of the voter is included in the substantal grounds and by virtue of a reasoned separate voter list of the polling staton, the decree. head ofcer shall hand to the voter a ballot The decree establishing the polling statons paper and an ofcially stamped envelope signed shall be published in the Ofcial Gazete and by the head ofcer. on the websites of the Ministry of Interior The votng of non-resident Lebanese citzens and Municipalites and the Ministry of Foreign shall be subject to the general provisions that Afairs and Emigrants. regulate the votng of resident Lebanese citzens and are consistent with the provisions of the Artcle 117: The polling staton ofcers present law. The ambassador or the consul shall appoint the polling ofcers of each polling staton, in Artcle 119: Vote countng coordinaton with the Ministry and through Afer the conclusion of the votng process, the the Ministry of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants. polling staton ofcers shall open the ballot box Each polling staton shall have at least one head or boxes in the presence of the ambassador or ofcer and one clerk to be selected from among consul, or their representatve if they are unable the embassy or consulate staf or contracted if to atend. necessary, provided that they are Lebanese and The polling staton shall count the ballot papers subject to all applicable Lebanese laws, and that in the presence of candidate delegates and their respectve powers are specifed. accredited observers and media representatves, Candidate agents may atend the votng process if any. The ballot papers of the polling staton provided that they obtain the permits issued for shall then be put in a large envelope marked this purpose by the embassy or consulate. with the name of the polling staton and sealed with red wax. Artcle 118: The votng process Out of country votng shall be conducted on the Artcle 120: Submission of envelopes and other basis of the proportonal system and one single electoral documents consttuency at least ffeen days before the Each polling staton shall organize a report on scheduled date for electons in Lebanon, and the votng process, in two copies, containing shall use the ballot papers printed and stamped the number of registered voters, actual voters in advance by the Ministry. and the number of ballot papers. The report Polling statons are open from 7 am to 10 pm. shall be signed by the polling staton ofcers and authorized candidate agents present, if any. When the voter enters the polling staton, One copy shall be kept by the ambassador or the head ofcer shall verify their identty by consul at the embassy or consulate, while the checking their identty card or valid ordinary other copy shall be sent immediately with the Lebanese passport and locatng their name on large envelopes that contain the ballot papers the separate voter list provided for in the present and other electoral documents to the Banque law. If a material diference is notced between du Liban through the Ministry of Foreign Afairs the data of the identty card or passport and and Emigrants. the data on the separate voter list of the polling At the end of the votng process on the Sunday staton, the identty card number of passport scheduled to hold parliamentary electons number shall be the basis for verifcaton. in Lebanon, these envelopes shall be sent

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with other electoral documents to the Higher Artcle 124: The detailed implementaton of Registraton Commitee in Beirut to be counted the law and their results documented. This process shall The details of implementaton of the present law be subject to the regulatons provided for in the shall be determined by virtue of decrees issued present law regarding secure transportaton of by the Council of Ministers, at the suggeston of material and vote count monitoring. the Minister of Interior and Municipalites.

Artcle 121: Vacancy of seats of non-resident Artcle 125: Repeal of contradictory laws citzens All provisions contrary to the provisions of this If any parliament seat in the non-resident law, in partcular Act No. 25 of 8-10-2008, shall citzens’ consttuency becomes vacant following be repealed except for the provisions of Artcles the death or resignaton or revocaton of relatng to parliamentary by-electons where the membership of a deputy, or any other reason, majoritarian system applies, and to municipal by-electons shall be held to fll the vacant seat, and local (mukhtar) electons. on the same basis adopted for the electon of resident candidates. Artcle 126: Enforcement No successor shall be appointed if the vacancy The present law shall enter into force occurs in the last six months of the parliament’s immediately afer its publicaton in the ofcial mandate. gazete, subject to expeditous promulgaton in accordance with the frst paragraph of Artcle 56 Artcle 122: The six seats reserved for non- of the Consttuton. resident citzens Six seats reserved for non-resident citzens shall be added to the total number of deputes thus becoming 134 members in the electons that will follow the frst electons to be held in accordance with this law.

In the next electons, the total number of 128 members of parliament shall be reduced by six seats to be taken from the same confessions to which the non-resident seats have been allocated to in Artcle 112 of this Law, by virtue of a decree of the Council of Ministers at the suggeston of the Minister.

Artcle 123: The implementaton of the provisions of this chapter A joint commitee with members from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalites and the Ministry of Foreign Afairs and Emigrants shall be formed pursuant to a decision issued by both ministers entrusted with the detailed implementaton of the present chapter.

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The Electoral Districts

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Table Attached to Law 44 dated 17/6/2017 (Official Gazette no.27 dated 17 June 2017) Distribution of Seats to the Confessions and Districts

Beirut

Greek Greek Armenian Armenian Major Minor No. Sunni Shiaa Druze Maronite Evangelical Minorites Districts Districts of Seats Catholic Orthodox Catholic Orthodox

Beirut 1 Ashrafeh Rmeil, Saif, 8 1 1 1 1 3 1 Medawar

Beirut 2 Ras Beirut Mina El Hosn, Ain El Mreisseh, Mazraa, 11 6 2 1 1 1 Mseitbeh, Zkak El Blat, Bashoura, Marfaa

Total 19 6 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 1

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Mount Lebanon

Greek Greek Armenian Armenian Major Minor No. Sunni Shiaa Druze Maronite Evangelical Minorites Districts Districts of Seats Catholic Orthodox Catholic Orthodox

Mount Jbeil 3 1 2 Lebanon 1 Kesserwan 5 5

Mount Metn 8 4 1 2 1 Lebanon 2

Mount Baabda Lebanon 3 6 2 1 3

Mount Chouf 8 2 2 3 1 Lebanon 4

Aley 5 2 2 1

Total 35 2 3 5 19 2 3 1

South Lebanon

Greek Greek Armenian Armenian Major Minor .No Sunni Shiaa Druze Maronite Evangelical Minorites Districts Districts of Seats Catholic Orthodox Catholic Orthodox

South Saida 2 2 Lebanon 1

Jezzine 3 2 1

South Tyre 4 4 Lebanon 2 Saida Villages 3 2 1

South Lebanon 3 Bint Jbeil 3 3

Nabateh 3 3

Marjayoun Hasbaya 5 1 2 1 1

Total 23 3 14 1 2 2 1

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Bekaa

Major Minor No. Greek Greek Armenian Armenian Sunni Shiaa Druze Maronite Evangelical Minorites Districts Districts of Seats Catholic Orthodox Catholic Orthodox

Bekaa 1 Zahle 7 1 1 1 2 1 1

West Bekaa Bekaa 2 6 2 1 1 1 1 Rashaya

Bekaa 3 Baalbek 10 2 6 1 1 Hermel

Total 23 5 8 1 3 3 2 1

North Lebanon

Greek Greek Armenian Armenian Major Minor No. Sunni Shiaa Druze Maronite Evangelical Minorites Alawite Districts Districts of Seats Catholic Orthodox Catholic Orthodox

North Akkar Lebanon 1 7 3 1 2 1

North Tripoli 8 5 1 1 1 Lebanon 2

Minnieh 1 1

Dinnieh 2 2

North Zgharta Lebanon 3 3 3

Bcharreh 2 2

Koura 3 3

Batroun 2 2

Total 28 11 9 6 2

Grand Total 128 27 27 8 34 8 14 1 1 5 1 2

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