National Commission
on
the Parliamentary Electoral Law
Parliamentary Electoral Draft Law
Submitted to His Excellency Prime Minister Mr.
Fouad Siniora
May 31st, 2006
Chapter 1
Eligibility
of Voters and Candidates
Article 1
Every Lebanese individual who has attained the age of eighteen years, whether or
not resident on Lebanese territory, shall be entitled to vote in accordance with
the “Charter of voters and candidates’ rights” set forth in Article 23 of
the Constitution, and the provisions herein.
Article 2
The following shall be prevented
from exercising their voting rights:
1- Persons deprived of their civil rights
2-
Persons convicted to be permanently disqualified from public service at any
grades or positions
3-
Persons disqualified temporarily, until the end of the disqualification period
4- Persons convicted of a felony
5-
Persons convicted of one of the following grand offences: burglary, fraud,
breach of trust, misappropriation of funds, bribery, perjury, rape,
intimidation, falsification, forgery, immoral crimes as stated in the seventh
chapter of the penal code, and crimes related to the planting, production and/or
trade in illicit drugs
6-
Persons interdicted by court order through the interdiction period, and those
interdicted by themselves through their stay in institutions for mental illness.
7- Persons whose bankruptcy is
declared
8-
Persons convicted and sentenced to the sanctions stated in Articles 329 to 334
of the penal code. The aforementioned persons may not vote until after
rehabilitation. As for those interdicted by themselves, they may not get back
their voting rights until they present to the competent registration committee a
medical certificate issued by the institution for mental illness proving their
recovery.
Article 3
Naturalized Lebanese individuals may not vote until four years after
naturalization.
Article 4
Military personnel of any rank or those considered as such, whether they are in
the army, the state security, the internal security forces, the public security
or the customs police--with the exception of draftees into temporary military
service--may not vote.
Article 5
Every Lebanese who has attained
the age of twenty-five years may run for parliamentary elections.
Article 6
The
only persons allowed to be elected Members of Parliament shall be Lebanese
registered in the voter rolls, enjoying their civil and political rights and
literate. Naturalized persons may not run for elections until ten years after
their naturalization.
Article 7
Military personnel of any rank or those considered as such, whether they are in
the army, the state security, the internal security forces, the public security
or the customs police may not run for parliamentary elections even if they are
transferred to provisional retirement or to the reserve; however, they may run
as candidates if they are retired or if their resignation has been accepted six
months before the date of elections.
Article 8
1-
The following persons may not run as candidates while they are exercising their
jobs and within the periods that follow their end of service or their
resignation date, as follows:
- Judges in accordance with the
provisions of the Judiciary law;
- Public employees of the first
and second rank, for six months;
- Full-time board chairmen and
members, directors general and officers of the public institutions, public
utility institutions, mixed economy companies (semi-public), and public capital
companies, for six months;
- Presidents or vice-presidents
of the municipal councils and municipal unions, and Mukhtars (selectmen),
in accordance with the laws of municipalities and of Mukhtars.
2- The date of the end of
Parliament’s mandate shall be taken into consideration in order to calculate the
above-mentioned deadlines.
3- The resignation shall be
deemed accepted as soon as offered.
4- The faculty of the Lebanese
University shall be exempted from the provisions of the present article.
Top
Chapter 2
The Independent Electoral Commission
Article 9
An independent commission,
called “The Independent Electoral Commission”, shall be created (hereinafter
referred to as the “Commission”). It shall be entrusted with the preparation for
and supervision of parliamentary elections. It shall also work for the
development of democratic education and for the promotion of election awareness.
The Commission is an
administrative body with judicial status. It enjoys financial and administrative
autonomy and shall have its own headquarters.
Article 10
The Commission shall be made up
of ten members as follows:
-
A presiding judge of the Court of Cassation, selected
from a list of three presiding judges nominated by the Higher Judicial Council
(as President)
-
A presiding judge from the Council of State, selected
from a list of presiding judges nominated by the Council of State bureau (as
Vice-president)
-
A presiding judge from the National Audit Office,
selected from a list of three presiding judges nominated by the National Audit
Office (as member)
-
A former head of the Beirut Bar Association, selected
from a list of three former heads of the Beirut Bar Association nominated by the
Beirut Bar Association board (as member)
-
A former head of the Tripoli Bar Association, selected
from a list of three former heads of the Tripoli Bar Association nominated by
the Tripoli Bar Association board (as member)
-
A member of the National Media Council, selected from a
list of three nominated by the National Media Council (as member)
-
A member of the Press Syndicate, selected from a list of
three nominated by the Press Syndicate (as member)
-
Three PhD holding experts with expertise in
election-related matters such as political science, administrative affairs,
social sciences, statistics, or demography.
The President, vice-president
and members of the Commission shall be appointed by decision of the Council of
Ministers upon the proposal of the Prime Minister.
Article 11
The term of office of the
President and members of the Commission shall start as soon as they take the
oath mentioned in Article 12 below, and shall end six months after the holding
of parliamentary elections. Their term of office shall not be renewed, extended
or reduced.
The President and the members
of the new Commission shall be appointed before the expiry of the six-month
period.
In case any member’s position
falls vacant for whatever reason, the Commission shall announce the vacancy and
the termination of the term of office. The President shall notify, within one
week, the concerned entity determined in the previous article, for information
and in order to take appropriate measures to appoint a substitute member.
The substitute member shall be
appointed within one month of notification, in the same way the original member
was appointed, for the remaining period of the original member’s term of office.
The substitute member shall not be subject to the non-renewal rule if the
remaining period of the original member’s mandate is less than two years.
Article 12
The Commission members
shall--before assuming their duties--take the following oath before the
President of the Republic, within no more than 15 days of the date of their
appointment:
“In the name of God, I swear to fulfill my duties within the Independent
Electoral Commission faithfully, impartially, loyally, and independently. I
undertake to fully comply with all rules and regulations, particularly those
governing parliamentary elections, in order to ensure that elections are free
and fair”.
Article 13
The Commission shall draw up
its internal bylaws that should comprise rules and procedures governing its work
in application of the present law, in addition to the terms of appointment of
the Secretary-General of the Commission and his tasks. These internal
regulations shall be ratified by decree of the Council of Ministers upon the
proposal of the Prime Minister.
Article 14
No Commission member shall, at
the same time, hold the office of Prime Minister or Minister, or of Parliament
Head or Member of Parliament, or of board President or Member of any public
institution, or of President or Member of any municipal council. In addition, a
Commission member shall not be entitled, until one whole year after the expiry
of his term of office, to run for or fill any public political, administrative,
or judicial position in accordance with Article 18 below.
Article 15
The full-time President of the
Commission shall be prohibited, while fulfilling the commission tasks, from
exercising any profession or any public or private paid work, except for
teaching in higher education institutions--within limits set forth in the rules
and regulations relative to judges--and participating in conferences and
academic activities.
The Commission President and
members may not, during their term of office, carry out any task or activity
incompatible with the impartiality or the autonomy of the Commission.
The Commission shall decide, by
a two-thirds majority of the Commission members, to terminate the term of office
of a member in case he breaches the aforementioned obligations, with observance
of the principles of Inter Partes process and the right of defense.
Article 16
The President or any of the
members of the Commission shall not be subject, without the Commission’s
authorization, to any criminal action, criminal measure or arrest during their
term of office for acts related to their mission within the Commission.
The minister of justice shall
submit to the Commission President the request for commencing proceedings or
appropriate legal measures against any member of the Commission, attached to a
note from the Attorney General of the Court of Cassation including the nature,
place and time of the act, and relevant summary of evidence supporting such
proceedings and penal measures.
The Commission shall be
convened within one week to consider and decide on the request after listening
to the Commission President or the concerned member who shall not take part in
the vote. The Commission shall render its decision within the same
timeframe.
Article 17
The Commission President shall
receive a monthly salary. As for the members, they shall receive a monthly flat
remuneration.
Such monthly salary and flat
remuneration shall be determined by decree of the Council of Ministers upon the
proposal of the prime minister.
Article 18
The Commission President shall
be deemed as “delegated” and shall resume his judiciary work upon the expiry of
his term of office in the Commission. The period during which he worked for the
Commission shall be counted as active service. He shall reserve his right to
promotion and pension or end-of-service indemnities.
Article 19
Contrary to any other
provision, the Commission shall be in charge of all parliamentary
election-related issues, especially the following tasks and prerogatives:
1-
Submit suggestions to the executive branch and give
opinion about election proposals and draft laws.
2-
Spread electoral education, guide voters, and promote
democratic practices.
3-
Supervise the good preparation and editing of electoral
rolls, and announce these rolls within the determined deadlines.
4-
Draw up a master plan for all stages of the electoral
process at least one year prior to the holding of parliamentary elections, and
ensure the appropriate implementation of the said plan by all concerned bodies.
5-
Appoint and supervise the registration and counting
committees, provided that the Commission President appoints the judges chairing
these committees upon the approval of the Higher Judicial Council.
6-
Determine the place of the polling stations, and appoint
the heads of these polling stations and their assistants after consulting with
the Muhafez (Governor of a Muhafazat), the Caimaqam (deputy
governor within cadas), and the Ministry of Foreign and Emigrant Affairs as
regards out-of-country voting.
7-
Train the heads of the polling stations and their
assistants for the electoral process.
8-
Secure equipment and tools necessary for the electoral
process, distribute them to all centers, and make sure they are appropriately
used and kept.
9-
Receive, consider and decide on the rolls and the
requests for voters’ registration in accordance with the prevailing rules and
regulations within the determined legal timeframe.
10-
Receive the requests for registration of financial
commissioners for the campaign of each electoral list or candidate, as well as
the requests of election observers and poll watchers, and grant them the
relevant passes.
11-
Receive the requests of the press and the audiovisual
media wishing to cover the electoral and counting processes, and grant them the
relevant permits for this purpose.
12-
Monitor electoral finances in accordance with Chapter 5
Section I herein.
13-
Monitor the compliance of lists, candidates, and mass
media of any form whatsoever, with the rules and regulations governing electoral
advertising in accordance with Chapter 5 Section II herein.
14-
Supervise the management of the electoral process, look
after the appropriate implementation of rules and regulations in this respect,
receive and settle complaints thereabout, and appoint observers to watch the
electoral process within the polling stations and the counting centers.
15-
Supervise the counting and calculation of votes, and the
announcement of results.
16-
Receive the financial statements of the electoral
campaigns of lists and candidates within one month of polling day, and audit
them.
17-
Make all documents, reports and information pertaining to
the electoral process and its results, available for the candidates within one
week of the receipt of a request.
18-
Draw up a final report on the whole electoral process
including proposals meant to develop it. Submit the report, within five months
of polling day, to the presidencies of the republic, the council of ministers
and parliament. Publish this report in the official gazette.
19-
Draw up a yearly report on the Commission’s activities
and submit it to the presidencies of the republic, the council of ministers and
parliament. Publish this report in the official gazette.
Article 20
The competent civil society
organizations may accompany and monitor the elections provided they fulfill the
following conditions:
-
The organization should be Lebanese, non-political and
not-for-profit and should have duly lodged its articles of incorporation at
least three years before the filing date of the request.
-
It should not be connected to any political side and its
administrative board should not include any candidate running for elections.
-
Its statutes should specify, for the last three years at
least, objectives relating to the promotion of democracy, human rights, free and
fair elections, and transparency, or training related to these issues.
-
The organization’s members, pursuant to lists duly filed
to the competent public authorities, should not be less than 100 at the filing
date of the request.
-
Its administrative board shall comply with a Code of
Ethics established by the Commission.
The Commission shall examine
the received requests and verify the fulfillment of the conditions above. It may
accept or revoke the request. In case of acceptance, the Commission shall
determine the procedure of attending and monitoring the elections under
decisions issued by it at least one month before polling day.
The Commission shall be in
charge of considering the requests of the election-related international
organizations wishing to observe the electoral process, in accordance with terms
and conditions to be specified by it in due course.
Article 21
All administrative bodies
involved in elections and security forces shall remain at the disposal of the
Commission regarding all election-related matters during the election period.
They shall get instructions and directives from the Commission in order to
implement them under its supervision, and shall be held liable before it for any
breach, act of negligence or omission.
The Commission shall
immediately suspend from duty the defaulting heads or members of such bodies and
forces and shall refer each one of them to his/her competent authority.
Article 22
The Commission’s decisions can
be challenged before the Council of State within five days of notification or
implementation if they are individual decisions, or of publication if they are
regulatory ones. Challenges shall be subject to the summary procedures adopted
before the Council of State.
As for the Commission’s media
decisions, they shall be challenged as per the provisions herein.
Article 23
The Commission may delegate
some of its powers to one or some of its members. It may also form committees to
carry out specific election-related tasks.
Article 24
The Commission President shall
have permanent mandate to exercise, as regards the Commission, the
administrative and financial powers of a minister.
Article 25
The Commission shall create, in
its headquarters, a central higher registration committee made up of a presiding
judge of the Court of Cassation (as president), an active judge, a general
inspector from the Central Inspection Bureau (as two members), and the
director-general of the Personal Status directorate-general (as rapporteur).
The central higher registration committee shall be in charge of the following
tasks:
1-
Receive and audit the record of the results of elections
held in Lebanon and abroad, calculate the votes and submit the results to the
Commission.
2-
Consider the requests for appeal against the decisions of
the consular chargé d’affaires regarding the settlement of the requests
mentioned in Article 47 herein, in accordance with a procedure to be determined
by the Commission by virtue of a decision.
Article 26
1- The Commission shall set up,
in its headquarters, at least seven days before polling day, an operations room
made up of the Commission President or a Commission member appointed by him (as
head), the Attorney General of Beirut, the Director-general of the Ministry of
Justice, the Director-general of the Ministry of Political Affairs and Refugees,
the Director-general of Personal Status, a liaison officer with the rank of
general from each of the army, the internal security forces, general security,
and state security, and a representative of the civil society organizations
accredited to monitor the elections as per Article 20 above.
2- This operations room shall
be in charge of following up the electoral process and making sure that it goes
smoothly in accordance with the provisions herein. It shall also settle the
procedural issues that might occur during the electoral process.
3- The president of the central
higher registration committee, the presidents of the higher registration
committees, the presidents of registration committees, the muhafez, the
Caimaqam, the heads of security bodies, and the persons watching and
involved in the electoral process shall permanently liaise with this room in
order to fulfill the tasks mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Article 27
The Commission shall have an
annual special budget specified separately in the State Budget.
Article 28
The Commission shall appoint a
secretary-general and specify his tasks and powers.
The Commission may enter into
contract with a specialized administrative team. In addition, it may ask that a
number of civil servants of the public administrations be affiliated to it on a
provisional basis. Such an affiliation shall be done by virtue of a decision of
the competent minister at the Commission’s request. The said decision shall
include the affiliation deadline provided that it does not exceed a renewable or
extendable one-year period.
Top
Chapter 3
Electoral Constituencies, Voting System and
Number of Deputies
Article 29
Parliament shall be made up of
128 deputies elected according to the mixed system as follows:
-
77 deputies elected according to the majoritarian system
within constituencies specified in the following tables.
-
51 deputies elected according to the proportional system
within constituencies specified in the following tables.
Article 30
Electoral constituencies shall
be divided into two categories; first, constituencies formed of cadas or
equivalent electoral units; second, large constituencies subject to the
proportional system. The number of deputies of each confession within each
constituency is determined in the following tables:
First: The North
Cada |
Total number of seats |
Distribution of cada
seats |
Total number of cada
seats |
Distribution of
muhafazat seats |
Total number of
muhafazat seats |
Tripoli
|
8 |
Greek Orthodox 1
Sunni 3
Alawite 1
|
(5) |
Maronite 1
Sunni 2
|
(3) |
Miniye-Danniye |
3 |
Sunni 2 |
(2) |
Sunni 1 |
(1) |
Akkar* |
7 |
Maronite 1
Greek Orthodox 1
Sunni 2 |
(4) |
Greek Orthodox 1
Sunni 1
Alawite 1 |
(3) |
Zghorta
|
3 |
Maronite 2 |
(2) |
Maronite 1 |
(1) |
Becharre |
2 |
Maronite 1
|
(1) |
Maronite 1 |
(1) |
Batroun
|
2 |
Maronite 1 |
(1) |
Maronite 1 |
(1) |
Koura
|
3 |
Greek Orthodox 2 |
(2) |
Greek Orthodox 1 |
(1) |
|
(28) |
|
(17) |
|
(11) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* The National Commission
recommends that electoral units be created in Akkar. The proposal of the
Commission member Dr. Paul Salem is attached hereto.
Second: Northern Mount Lebanon
Cada |
Total number of seats |
Distribution of cada
seats |
Total number of cada
seats |
Distribution of
muhafazat seats |
Total number of
muhafazat seats |
Jbeil
|
3 |
Shiite 1
Maronite 1 |
(2) |
Maronite 1 |
(1) |
Keserwan |
5 |
Maronite 3 |
(3) |
Maronite 2 |
(2) |
Metn
|
8 |
Maronite 2
Greek Orthodox 1
Greek Catholic1
Armenian Orthodox 1 |
(5) |
Maronite 2
Greek Orthodox 1
|
(3) |
|
(16) |
|
(10) |
|
(6) |
* See the dissenting
opinion of Commission member Ziyad Baroud attached hereto.
Third: Southern Mount Lebanon
Cada |
Total number of seats |
Distribution of cada
seats |
Total number of cada
seats |
Distribution of
muhafazat seats |
Total number of
muhafazat seats |
Baabda |
6 |
Maronite 2
Shiite 1
Druze 1
|
(4) |
Maronite 1
Shiite 1
|
(2) |
Aley
|
5 |
Maronite 1
Greek Orthodox 1
Druze 1 |
(3) |
Maronite 1
Druze 1 |
(2) |
Chouf
|
8 |
Maronite 2
Sunni 1
Greek Catholic 1
Druze 1 |
(5) |
Druze 1
Maronite 1
Sunni 1 |
(3) |
|
(19) |
|
(12) |
|
(7) |
Fourth:
Beirut
Electoral
unit |
Total number of seats |
Distribution of seats
in the electoral unit |
Total number of seats
in the electoral unit |
Distribution of
muhafazat seats |
Total number of
muhafazat seats |
- Ashrafieh
- Rmeil
- Saifi
- Mudawar |
8 |
Minorities 1
Greek Catholic 1
Maronite 1
Greek Orthodox 1
Armenian Orthodox 2 |
(6) |
Armenian Orthodox 1
Armenian Catholic 1 |
(2) |
-
Mazraa
- Mousaytby
- Bashoura |
7 |
Sunni 2 |
(2) |
Sunni 2
Greek Orthodox 1
Shiite 1
Druze 1
|
(5) |
- Ras Beirut
- Dar al Mreissy
- Zkak al Blat
- Port
- Mina al Hosn |
4 |
Shiite 1
Sunni 1
|
(2) |
Sunni 1
Evangelical 1 |
(2) |
|
(19) |
|
(10) |
|
(9) |
Fifth: The
South
Cada |
Total number of seats |
Distribution of cada
seats |
Total number of cada
seats |
Distribution of
muhafazat seats |
Total number of
muhafazat seats |
Saida
|
2 |
Sunni 1 |
(1) |
Sunni 1
|
(1) |
Zahrany |
3 |
Shiite 1 |
(1) |
Shiite 1
Greek Catholic 1 |
(2) |
Tyr
|
4 |
Shiite 2 |
(2) |
Shiite 2 |
(2) |
Jezzine
|
3 |
Maronite 1
Greek Catholic 1 |
(2) |
Maronite 1 |
(1) |
Nabatiye
|
3 |
Shiite 2 |
(2) |
Shiite 1 |
(1) |
Marjeyoun
|
3 |
Shiite 1
Greek Orthodox 1
|
(2) |
Shiite 1
|
(1) |
Hassbaya |
2 |
Druze 1
Sunni 1 |
(2) |
|
(0) |
Bint Jbeil
|
3 |
Shiite 2 |
(2) |
Shiite 1 |
(1) |
|
(23) |
|
(14) |
|
(9) |
Sixth: Bekaa
Cada |
Total number of seats |
Distribution of cada
seats |
Total number of cada
seats |
Distribution of
muhafazat seats |
Total number of
muhafazat seats |
Zahle
|
7 |
Greek Catholic 1
Maronite 1
Greek Orthodox 1
Sunni 1
Shiite 1
|
(5) |
Greek Catholic 1
Armenian Orthodox 1 |
(2) |
Baalbek/Hermel *
|
10 |
Maronite 1
Sunni 1
Shiite 3
Greek Catholic 1 |
(6) |
Sunni 1
Shiite 3 |
(4) |
Western Bekaa/
Rashaya |
6 |
Sunni 1
Druze 1
Shiite 1
|
(3) |
Sunni 1
Maronite 1
Greek Orthodox 1 |
(3) |
|
(23) |
|
(14) |
|
(9) |
* The National Commission
recommends that electoral units be created in Baalbek/Hermel. The proposal of
Commission member Dr. Zuheir Shokr is attached hereto.
Article
31
Candidates shall run for
elections within the cadas or the electoral units no matter what voting system--majoritarian
or proportional--shall apply.
Top
Chapter 4
Preparatory Electoral Tasks
First:
Voter rolls
Article 32
Registration
on the voter rolls shall be mandatory for resident and non-resident voters; no
one shall be allowed to be registered on more than one list, failing that the
provisions of Article 461 of the Penal Code shall apply.
Article 33
The voter
rolls shall be permanent. However, they shall be revised periodically under the
supervision of the Commission in accordance with the provisions of the present
law and the procedures specified by the Commission under executive decisions.
Article 34
The
Commission shall prepare for each electoral constituency and for each cada or
electoral unit within it, automated voter rolls including the names of voters-
both resident and non-resident Lebanese- in accordance with the updated records
of personal status, provided that these voters fulfill the conditions set forth
in Articles 1, 2, 3, and 4 herein.
Article 35
Voter rolls
must include: the voter’s full name, his father and mother’s names, his record
number as per personal status records, his sex, his date and place of birth, his
confession, and his voting place. A column shall be reserved, on each roll, for
any occurring modifications, if any, to the records (rectification or change),
with the relevant legal evidence thereof.
The voters
who are 100 years old and above must automatically be crossed off the voter
rolls. However, this crossing-off shall not prevent them from reregistering at
the request of the concerned person submitted to the Commission within one month
of publication of the voter rolls.
Article 36
There shall
be created within the directorate-general of personal status an office called
“Office of Voters’ Records” that shall be responsible, under the present law,
for the periodic additions, modifications, crossings-off, and rectification made
to the voter rolls.
The Office of
Voters’ Records shall exercise its duties under the supervision of the
Commission in accordance with Article 19 herein.
Article 37
Heads of
census offices shall annually submit to the Office of Voters’ Records, between
the 5th of December and the 5th of January, primary rolls
including the names of registered persons who meet the legal terms for
registration, the names of those who are excepted to meet these terms by the
closing date of voter rolls, the omitted names, and the names that were crossed,
for any reason whatsoever, off the records of personal status.
Article 38
The Office of
the Police Record of each Muhafazat shall annually submit to the Office
of Voters’ Records, between the 5th of December and the 5th
of January, the names of the persons convicted of crimes that deprive them of
exercising their voting right according to Article 2 herein.
Article 39
Judicial Courts shall annually submit to the Office of Voters’ Records, between
the 5th of December and the 5th of January, a list of verdicts declaring
bankruptcy or interdiction.
Article 40
The Office of
Voters’ Records shall edit the voter rolls according to the documents referred
to it by the authorities mentioned in the previous article, after reviewing them
under the supervision of the Commission. It shall then submit them to the latter
in their final edited form before the 1st of February of each year.
Each roll
shall include a special box for the reasons of editing (additions or
crossings-off), and for the transfer of the place of
record
from one roll to another. In the event of transfer, the place of record,
the record number and the crossing-off date must be written down.
Any voluntary
transfer of the place of
record
occurring within the year prior to Election Day shall not be taken into
consideration in application of the present law. Transfer due to marriage shall
not be deemed voluntary.
Article 41
Before the 5th
of February of each year, the Commission shall send copies of the primary voter
rolls to municipalities, mukhtars, Muhafazat and cada
centers, and Lebanese consulates abroad, for publication purposes in order to
make final editing easier. Addressees should receive these rolls before the 10th
of February at the latest in order to proceed to editing according to available
documentary evidence after making them known to the voters.
Article 42
The
Commission shall announce in the media (press and audio-visual), within the
deadline specified in the previous article, that the voter rolls are ready, and
shall call voters to examine and take copies of them. For this purpose also, the
Commission must, within the same deadline, publish the primary voter rolls on
its website and release CDs thereof. Any person may have copies thereof against
an amount of money determined by the Commission.
Article 43
Any
interested individual may, as of the 10th of February of each year,
submit to the competent registration committee mentioned in Article 49 herein, a
request for correction of any mistake regarding him/her on the voter rolls, such
as registration omission or distortion of his/her name due to negligence,
material mistake or any other reason.
The said
request shall be submitted to the registration committee by the 10th
of March of the same year, along with supporting evidence and documents. No fee
shall be required for the request.
Article 44
Each voter,
registered in any voter roll, shall have the right to ask the competent
registration committee to cross off any name that has been illegally registered
in the roll. The Commission as well as the Muhafez, the
Caimaqam,
the Mukhtar and the Consular Chargé d’Affaires abroad, each within their
competence, may exercise this right, before the 10th of March falling
after the publication of the primary voter rolls.
Article 45
Each voter
may ask the competent registration committee, within the deadline set forth in
the previous article, to move his/her original place of record where he/she is
supposed to vote to his/her place of residence upon a certificate issued by the
Mukhtar of his/her place of residence.
Article 46
The competent
registration committee mentioned in Article 49 below shall consider and decide
on the requests mentioned in Articles 41, 42, and 43 herein before the 5th
of March of each year. It shall send copies thereof to the concerned persons and
to the Commission in order for the latter to supervise their implementation and
accordingly the editing of the voter rolls.
Article 47
The
non-resident voters may file the same requests mentioned in Articles 41 and 42
herein within the deadline set forth in Article 42, to Lebanese embassies and
consulates that shall refer these requests to the competent registration
committee through the Commission.
Article 48
The
Commission shall observe, for the preparation of the final voter rolls, the
operations of editing and record transfer provided for in the present law.
Voter rolls
shall be closed on the 30th of March of each year and remain in force
until the 30th of March of the following year.
Article 49
The
Commission shall appoint in each cada or electoral unit one or more registration
committees.
Each
registration committee shall be made up of an active judge (as president), one
of the presidents or members of the municipal councils within the electoral
constituency and one civil servant of the census office of the electoral
constituency (as two members).
The
presidents and members of the registration committees shall be appointed in
accordance with article 19 herein.
One or more
personal status civil servants shall be affiliated to each registration
committee by decision of the Commission that may also have recourse to any
expert it deems appropriate.
Article 50
The
registration committee shall:
1-
Examine and make decisions on the requests for voter roll rectification as per
the provisions of the present law. Such decisions may be appealed to the
competent higher registration committee mentioned in Article 51 below within
five days of notification by means of a duty-free petition. The appellant shall
be exempted from retaining a lawyer.
2-
Receive the ballot boxes upon the closing of polling stations, revise the
records and documents, and take appropriate decisions in this regard.
3-
Count and calculate the votes. Draw up a general table with the results of each
candidate and list and submit it to the competent higher registration committee.
Article 51
The
Commission shall appoint a higher registration committee for each PR electoral
constituency.
Each higher
registration committee shall comprise a active judge of the Court of Cassation
or a presiding judge of the Court of Appeal (as president), an active judge and
an inspector from the Central Inspection bureau (as two members), and the head
of the census office within the directorate-general of personal status (as
rapporteur).
The
Commission shall appoint the presidents, the members and the rapporteur of each
higher registration committee in accordance with Article 19 herein.
Article
52
The higher
registration committee shall:
1-
Examine and make decisions on the requests for appeal against the decisions of
the registration committees before the 25th of March of each year.
2-
Receive the records of results issued by all the registration committees acting
within the scope of the committee and attached tables. It shall then revise them
and calculate the votes. General tables shall be drawn up with the results of
each candidate, each list, and each list candidate and they shall be immediately
submitted to the Commission.
Second:
Call for Elections
Article 53
Parliamentary
elections must be held on one day in all electoral constituencies within sixty
days prior to the expiry of Parliament’s mandate. However, in case Parliament is
dissolved, elections shall then be held within three months of the publication
of the dissolution decree.
Article 54
Voters shall
be called to vote pursuant to a decision of the Commission published in the
official gazette. Ninety days at least shall separate the publication of this
decision and election day.
Article
55
If a
parliament seat becomes vacant- whether PR or majority vote seat- due to death,
resignation, election annulment, or any other reason, elections shall be held to
fill the vacant seat within two months of vacancy. If vacancy occurs within the
last six months of Parliament’s mandate expiry, the vacant seat shall not be
filled.
By-elections
shall be held within the cada to which the vacant seat belongs, according to the
majoritarian system. Only resident voters shall take part in by-elections.
Polling stations shall be determined within this cada by the Commission without
the voters being entitled to ask to transfer their voting place as per Article
45 herein.
The term of
office of a candidate winning a by-election may not exceed the term of office of
the replaced deputy.
Third:
Candidacy Filing
Article 56
Any
individual who meets the candidacy terms stated in Article 5 and subsequent
articles of the present law may run as candidate in any constituency. However,
no one may run for election simultaneously in more than one electoral
constituency or on more than one closed list.
Article 57
1- Each
candidate running for parliamentary elections must submit to the Commission a
notarized request signed by himself pursuant to a specimen established by the
Commission including the following data:
-
The
name of the candidate
-
The
seat and the constituency he/she would be running for
-
Determination of the voting system (majoritarian or proportional) according to
which he/she wishes to be elected, in case the choice between these two systems
is available.
2- The
following documents shall be attached to the request:
-
A
police record less than one-month old
-
A
receipt from the cashier’s office proving that he has paid the candidacy fees
amounting to 2 million Lebanese pounds and the election deposit amounting to
three million Lebanese pounds
-
Declaration by virtue of which he appointed a financial commissioner and an
auditor in accordance with Article 72 herein
-
Approval of both the financial commissioner and the auditor referred to in
Article 72 herein
-
A
bank certificate confirming the opening of an electoral campaign account as per
Article 72 herein
Article 58
1- Each
winning candidate may recover the deposit paid. As for losers, they may recover
the said deposit only if they get at least 10% of the legally counted votes
within the electoral constituency.
2- Each
closed list that obtained a number of votes equivalent to one electoral quotient
may recover the deposit.
Article 59
1- Candidacy
filing shall be closed sixty days before polling day.
2- The
candidate must submit to the Commission his candidacy application along with all
required documents no later than the candidacy closing date.
3- The
Commission shall give the candidate a provisional receipt acknowledging receipt
of the application and the documents.
4- The
candidate may, willingly or at the request of the Commission, complete anything
missing or rectify any mistakes by the candidacy closing date at the latest.
5- The
Commission shall decide on the candidacy applications within five days of
receipt. In case the candidacy is accepted, it shall give the candidate a final
receipt for his application registration. However, in case of refusal, it shall
inform the candidate about the reasons thereof.
6- If the
Commission remains silent on the registration of the candidate application for
more than five days, such an application shall be deemed approved and the
Commission shall give the candidate the final receipt for his application
registration.
7- In case
the Commission rejects the candidate’s application, he may, within five days of
notification of the express rejection, file to the State Council a simple
duty-free petition. This council shall then deliberate and decide on his
petition within three days of receipt. The decision rendered in this regard
shall be final and irrevocable.
8- Each
candidate may challenge the Commission’s decision under which it approved the
application of one of his competitors, within five days of the publication
mentioned in Article 67 herein. In this case, provisions of Clause 7 above shall
apply.
Article 60
If the
deadline for candidacy filing expires and no candidate has registered for a
particular seat, this deadline shall be automatically extended by seven days.
If the
deadline for candidacy filing expires and only one candidate has run for a given
seat, this candidate shall be deemed the uncontested winner. The Commission
shall immediately send the president of parliament a letter informing him
thereof.
If the lists
registration deadline mentioned in Article 65 herein expires without any of
these lists nominating a candidate for a particular seat, every individual
candidate running for this seat shall constitute a list.
Article 61
Candidacy
applications not in compliance with the previous articles shall be considered
null. The same applies to the applications filed at the same date by the same
candidate in more than one constituency. However, if these applications bear
different dates, only the last one shall be taken into consideration and all
previous applications shall be deemed null.
Article 62
A candidate
may not drop out except on the basis of a notarized legal authorization filed
with the Commission at least forty-five days before polling day. In this case,
he may recover half of the deposit paid.
Article 63
Candidates
running for election within PR constituencies shall constitute closed lists,
that may be complete or incomplete. Candidates forming incomplete lists shall
not be less than four candidates, subject to Paragraph 3 of Article 60 herein.
Formation of
lists within the said constituencies shall respect the confessional distribution
of seats within cadas or electoral units.
Article 64
Each list in
the PR constituencies shall include at least 30% women candidates. Fractions
equivalent to or exceeding the half shall be rounded up.
These
provisions shall apply on a provisional basis for three elections only.
Article 65
List
candidates who wish to run for election in a PR constituency shall delegate a
representative under a notarized proxy signed by them all, so that the
representative registers this list with the Commission within no more than
forty-five days before polling day. When this period expires, no list shall be
registered or modified.
Article 66
The
Commission shall issue a receipt for approval of list registration if the
application meets all legal conditions. If not, it shall give the members of the
list to be registered forty-eight hours to rectify the registration request at
the risk of refusal. This deadline shall run from the notification of the list
representative mentioned in Article 65 herein.
The
Commission’s decision on rectification or refusal may be challenged within
forty-eight hours of notification of the abovementioned list representative in
accordance with Clause 7 of Article 59 herein.
Article 67
After closing
candidacy filing, the Commission shall announce and publish in a special issue
of the official gazette the names of the accepted candidates. It shall also
notify whomever might be concerned.
Immediately
after the expiry of the registration of lists mentioned in Article 65 herein,
the Commission shall announce the names of the accepted lists and the names of
list members. It shall publish them in a special issue of the official gazette
and notify whomever might be concerned.
Top
Chapter 5
Regulation of Electoral Competition
First:
Electoral expenditure
Article 68
Any donation,
cash or in-kind gift, subscription, loan, advance, financial amount, or anything
that has a financial value offered to the list or the candidate, shall be
considered a contribution under the present law.
Article 69
The following
shall not be considered a contribution under the present law:
1-
The
value of services provided for free by volunteers.
2-
Bank loans duly contracted under the prevailing interest rates within the usual
bank activities.
Article 70
The aggregate
expenses incurred by the list or the candidate and those paid in their favor or
with their express or tacit consent by natural persons, parties, organizations,
or bodies supporting them, shall be considered electoral expenditure under the
present law. The said expenditure shall be directly related to the electoral
campaign, to the electoral process and to the creation of legitimate links
between the list or the candidate on one hand and the voters on the other; it
shall include, for example not for limitation, the following:
Rental of
electoral offices and all related charges
-
organization of rallies, festivals and public meetings
-
election-related banquets
- equipment
used during the campaign
-
preparation, publication and distribution of advertising matter such as books,
booklets, bulletins, publications, and letters sent by normal or digital postal
means
-
preparation, distribution and posting of posters or billboards
- cash or
in-kind compensations and allowances paid to poll watchers and persons involved
in the electoral campaign
-
transportation fees of electoral campaign staff and voters
- electoral
advertising and opinion poll costs and any other charges paid to any radio, TV,
newspaper, magazine or any other publication as means for electoral campaigning.
Article 71
The electoral
campaign period shall start sixty days prior to polling day and end with the
closing of ballot boxes.
Article 72
1- Each
candidate must, at the beginning of the electoral campaign period or upon the
registration of the candidacy application at the latest, open an account with an
operating bank in Lebanon called “Electoral Campaign Account”. He shall also
appoint a financial commissioner who shall exclusively be in charge of managing
the account and an auditor member of the Certified Public Accountant Union in
Lebanon, who shall verify the campaign accounts in accordance with the
prevailing rules.
2- This
account shall not be subject to banking secrecy. The candidate shall be
automatically considered as waiving his claim to this secrecy upon the account
opening.
3- All
electoral contributions and expenses shall be exclusively made through this
account by the financial commissioner during the period of the electoral
campaign.
4- The
financial commissioner shall not be entitled to run for election. He shall not
keep or manage more than one electoral account.
5- No one but
the financial commissioner shall be in charge of receiving funds and
contributions meant to finance the electoral campaign and paying the electoral
expenses. The financial commissioner shall keep a record stamped by the
Commission where all electoral campaign account operations, all funds cashed and
expenses contracted and paid of any nature whatsoever, shall be noted.
6- The
financial commissioner shall reimburse the candidate for expenses incurred by
him (the candidate) before the commissioner was appointed. He shall enter this
amount under the electoral expenses in the record kept by him.
7-No amount
exceeding 500,000 LBP or equivalent shall be received or paid unless by check or
any other payment means except cash payment.
8- The
financial commissioner shall, upon the accomplishment of his mission, submit to
the candidate a statement of account along with a report on his management
activities.
9- The
mission of the financial commissioner shall automatically end three months after
the submission of the campaign account to the Commission.
10- Each
candidate shall, upon the filing of the candidacy application, declare the names
of the aforementioned financial commissioner and auditor, under a notarized
written letter submitted to the Commission.
The following
shall be attached to the said declaration letter:
-
Express approval of both the financial commissioner and the auditor to their
appointment
-
Bank certificate from the bank where the electoral campaign account was opened,
including the bank name and, if necessary, its branch, the name of the account
holder, the account number, and the name of the financial commissioner in charge
of managing this account.
Each
candidate shall legally inform the Commission of any change that might occur to
the identity of the financial commissioner or the auditor within two days of
such change.
11- The
candidate may end the services of the financial commissioner and appoint another
one, provided that he informs the Commission thereof within two days of the
substitute’s appointment. In this case, the electoral campaign bank account
shall be blocked after bank notification by the account holder until the
substitute financial commissioner is appointed.
The financial
commissioner whose services have been terminated must submit a management
statement of account to the entity that appointed him.
Article 73
1- The
candidate may spend on his electoral campaign from his own money. The money of
the spouse or any of the ascendants and descendents shall be considered
candidate’s own money.
2- All
personal funds, as per Clause 1 above, addressed to the electoral campaign must
be transferred to the bank account mentioned in Article 72 herein and notified
to the financial commissioner.
3- All
expenses contracted or paid by the candidate from his own money for his campaign
shall be entered by the financial commissioner in the record kept for this
purpose. They shall be subject to a binding expenditure ceiling in accordance
with Article 74 herein.
4- Only
Lebanese natural persons and Lebanese not-for-profit organizations may offer
contributions for a candidate’s electoral campaign.
5- The
contribution offered by one natural or legal person for a candidate’s electoral
campaign shall not exceed ten million Lebanese pounds in total. The total amount
of all contributions received by a candidate shall not exceed the electoral
expenditure ceiling as determined in Article 74 herein.
6- Parties or
any political entity may fund electoral campaigns of their candidates provided
that the funding sources and expenses of these campaigns are subject to the
terms and limits as per the present law.
7- Lebanese
commercial establishments and companies of any form or nature whatsoever may not
participate, directly or indirectly, in financing any candidate’s campaign in
any way whatsoever, whether by means of donations, loans, advances or other, or
via services, products or other benefits provided in lower prices than the
usual ones.
8- A
candidate shall be strictly prohibited from accepting or receiving, directly or
indirectly, contributions or aids from foreign states or from a non-Lebanese
natural or legal person.
9- A
candidate and his financial commissioner shall be prohibited from abusing public
funds for electoral purposes.
Article 74
1- The
maximum limit of funds each candidate or list may spend on his/its electoral
campaign shall be determined as follows:
A fixed flat
amount equivalent to one hundred million Lebanese pounds in addition to a
variable part depending on the number of voters within his/its electoral
constituency and equivalent to one thousand Lebanese pounds per voter registered
on the final voter rolls issued by the Commission before polling day.
This
expenditure ceiling may be reconsidered at the beginning of the electoral
campaign period in the light of the economic circumstances under a decision
issued by the Council of Ministers at the Commission’s instigation.
2- This
ceiling shall apply whether to individual candidates or to lists. In the last
case, expenditure ceiling for a list shall not exceed the fixed amount
multiplied by the number of candidates of this list.
3-
Expenditure ceilings of a candidate and of a list shall not be added onto one
another.
Article 75
1- Financial
donations including service provision or payment of money to voters such as (for
example not for limitation) in-kind and cash donations and support to
individuals, charitable, social, cultural, family, religious organizations or
other, or sports clubs and all non-public institutions operating within the
candidate’s electoral constituency, shall be prohibited during the campaign
period.
2- The
above-mentioned donations shall not be prohibited if they are granted by
candidates or institutions owned or run by candidates that have been doing so on
a regular basis and with the same amounts since not less than three years prior
to the commencement of the electoral campaign. In this case, donations and
support offered during the electoral campaign shall be subject to the electoral
ceiling set forth in Article 74.
Article 76
1- The
financial commissioner of each candidate must submit to the Commission on a
periodic basis, within one week of the end of each month of the campaign period,
a monthly statement with the received and paid amounts and financial engagements
of the previous month. He shall also attach to the said statement a campaign
statement of account issued by the campaign bank.
2- The
financial commissioner must, in case he notices any excess of the electoral
ceiling or in case he knew about or suspected any financial leakage or any
electoral expenses not contracted or incurred through him, immediately submit to
the Commission a report thereon.
3- If the
Commission finds clear breaches of the provisions of this chapter, it shall take
immediate measures to stop them and shall, when need be, refer them to the
competent judicial authority.
Article 77
1- After the
end of the elections, each candidate must draw up an exhaustive statement of
account certified by the authorized auditor and including in detail the total
received amounts with their sources and dates, and the total of expenses paid or
to be paid with their nature and dates, during the electoral period.
2- This
statement should be submitted to the Commission within one month of polling day
along with supporting documents related to all account items, such as receipts,
and disbursement notes, in addition to an exhaustive bank statement of electoral
account showing all operations made through this account since its opening until
this statement submittal.
3- There
shall be attached to the statement of account a notarized declaration signed by
each candidate--whether list candidate or individual one. The candidate declares
thereby, under his full responsibility, that the attached account is correct,
exhaustive and includes all received amounts and paid or to be paid expenses
pertaining to the electoral campaign. He shall also expressly declare that there
are no other cash or in-kind expenses or monies paid in cash or through other
bank accounts or by third parties.
4- The
financial commissioner shall, in case the statement of account does not include
any incomes or electoral expenses, make out a certificate in this regard
certified by the auditor.
5- The
Commission shall consider and verify all statements of account by making sure of
all or part of the data thereof. For this purpose, it may have resort to
experts, such as from the judicial police or others as it may deem appropriate.
6- The
Commission shall decide on the accuracy of the said statements of account within
two months of submittal. Accordingly, it decides whether to accept or reject
it--in this case, the inter partes principle should be respected--or
order total or partial amendment or correction. The Commission shall file its
decision with the Council of State along with the relevant statement of account.
If, within
two months of submittal, the Commission does not issue a decision regarding the
statement of account, the latter shall be automatically deemed accepted.
7- The
Commission shall reject the statement of account if it finds that it has not
been presented within the legal deadline, is incorrect, or still exceeds, even
after rectification or amendment, the expenditure ceiling.
8- If the
Commission finds that any of the electoral expenses declared in the statement of
account and attachments is less than the usually prevailing value of this
expense, it shall, taking into consideration the inter partes principle,
assess and enter the difference under the expenses items. This difference shall
be subject to the expenditure ceiling stated under the present law.
9- Clause 8
above shall apply to direct or indirect benefits and all in-kind donations and
services used by a candidate.
Article 78
Upon
registration, a list shall open a bank account for itself subject to the
provisions of Articles 72 and subsequent articles of the present law. It shall
also have its own financial commissioner and auditor.
Article 79
1- The
Commission shall refer any breach of the provisions of this chapter to the
competent prosecution if these breaches are of a criminal (penal) nature.
2- Whoever
intentionally breaches any of the provisions of this chapter shall be sentenced
to 6 months imprisonment at most and to a fine ranging between 5 million LBP and
100 million LBP, or to one of the said sentences, with no prejudice to sanctions
related to penal crimes as per the criminal code and special criminal laws.
3- Spending
of prohibited electoral expenses set forth in Article 75 herein shall be
considered as bribery crimes mentioned in the criminal code.
4- Sentences
stipulated in Clause 2 above shall apply to legal persons in accordance with
Article 210 of the Criminal Code.
5- Public and
civil cases related to sentences set forth in Clause 2 above, shall become
barred by lapse of time six months after the announcement of election results.
Article 80
1- The
candidate who fails to submit the statement of account within the terms and
deadline determined in Article 77 herein or who submitted a statement of account
rejected by the Commission for considering it to be a penal crime, shall be
deprived of running for election for one year as of the issue date of the
Constitutional Council decision declaring his ineptness.
The
Constitutional Council declares, after considering the file referred to it by
the Commission, the ineptness of the said candidate in addition to the automatic
annulment of his election in case he is a winning candidate.
2- If the
Commission rejects the statement of account of a winning candidate for reasons
other than penal crime or in case it proves that the candidate exceeded the
electoral expenditure ceiling as specified in Article 74 herein, the
Constitutional Council may, in the event the said candidate’s victory is
challenged before it, annul the election of this candidate and declare his
ineptness for one year. In this case, the Constitutional Council has the right
to assess, at its own discretion, the importance of this infringement or excess.
3- If the
sentenced infringement implies the responsibility of some or all winning list
candidates, the Constitutional Council shall have the power to assess, at its
own discretion, how important the infringement or the excess is, as to the
declaration of ineptness of all or part of the winning list candidates.
In this case,
re-election shall be conducted in order to fill the vacant seat(s) pursuant to
Article 55 herein.
Article 81
In addition
to the above-mentioned sentences, the Commission shall compel each candidate
proven to have exceeded the determined expenditure ceiling, to pay an amount
equivalent to three times the excess to the Treasury and shall decide to
confiscate the electoral deposit mentioned in Article 57 herein.
Second:
Electoral Advertising
Article 82
Each list or
candidate shall undertake by itself/himself the organization of the legitimate
activities to explain the electoral program in a suitable way not in
contradiction with prevalent rules and regulations.
Article 83
In order to
implement the provisions related to electoral advertising, the electoral
campaign period shall be determined in accordance with Article 71 herein.
Article 84
Paid
electoral advertising in the public and private audio-visual media shall be
authorized in accordance with the following provisions:
1-
The
private medium wishing to take part in electoral advertising shall submit to the
Commission at least ten days before the beginning of the electoral campaign, a
declaration, along with a price list, by virtue of which it expresses its will
to participate.
The
Commission shall determine for each audio-visual medium the maximum broadcasting
space and relevant timing of lists’/candidates’ advertising programs.
2-
The
audio-visual media shall comply with their price list submitted to the
Commission. Furthermore, they shall not reject any electoral advertising
requested by a candidate or list complying with the set prices and spaces.
3-
The
audio-visual media that did not submit their declaration within the specified
deadline shall be prohibited from undertaking any electoral advertising activity
during the whole electoral campaign period.
4-
While determining and allocating the maximum advertising spaces, the Commission
shall respect equity among candidates and their right to equal access within the
framework of law and legitimate electoral competition.
5-
The
audio-visual media shall mention in an express way while broadcasting electoral
ads that they are paid ads and shall also make clear the advertiser’s identity.
Article 85
1- Registered
lists or each individual candidate shall be entitled to free access to the
public audio-visual media in order to present their electoral programs in
accordance with the provisions of the present law and rules set by the
Commission.
2- Each list
or candidate wishing to exercise this right shall submit a written request in
this regard to the Commission. The Commission shall draw up a list with the
names of candidates and lists authorized to use the public media.
3- The
Commission shall make out a special schedule with the hours and terms of air
time allocation in a way guaranteeing equal access and equal opportunities among
lists and candidates.
4- The public
media shall remain impartial in all stages of the electoral process. They
(branches and staff) may not carry out any activity that might be considered in
favor of any list or candidate at the expense of another candidate or list.
Article 86
1- The
Commission shall observe the freedom of expression of opinions and trends of
thought in the private audio-visual media during the electoral campaign through
binding recommendations made to them so that equity, equality, and impartiality
among candidates and lists will be secured.
2- Clause 1
above shall apply to all public and political news programs including news
bulletins, interviews, meetings, talk shows, round tables and live electoral
events.
3- The
Commission shall ensure equal media access among competing lists and candidates
by binding the medium to host all competitors--list representatives or
individual candidates--under the same conditions in terms of timing, duration
and program types.
4- No private
audio-visual medium shall be entitled to declare its support for any candidate
or electoral list. In compliance with the principle of autonomy, the mentioned
media shall, during the electoral campaign, clearly distinguish between facts
and realities on one hand and opinions and comments on the other hand, in all
their news bulletins or political programs.
5- During the
electoral campaign, the audio-visual media, lists and candidates shall abide by
the following obligations:
-
Refrain from any act of defamation towards any list or candidate.
-
Refrain from broadcasting anything that might
trigger
religious/confessional/ethnic sensitivities or acts of violence or riots, or
support terrorism, crimes, or sabotage.
-
Refrain from broadcasting anything that might be a means of pressure,
intimidation, mistrust, allusion to or promise of material or in-kind benefits.
-
Refrain from distorting, screening, falsifying, omitting, or misrepresenting
information.
6- Before the commencement
of the electoral process, the Commission shall specify the criteria that
distinguish between electoral information and electoral ads. It has the right to
make sure, at any moment, whether any program hides, under the guise of
information, an illegitimate electoral ad, and take all legal measures to
counteract this matter.
Article 87
In compliance
with Clause 2 of Article 19 herein, the Commission shall bind all audio-visual
media to reserve, during the electoral campaign, at least half an hour per week
for election-related educational programs broadcasted under its supervision.
Article 88
1- The
competent local authority shall designate, in each city or village, appropriate
billposting places for electoral ads and posters during the whole electoral
campaign period.
2- No ad or
poster for candidates shall be posted outside the places reserved for this
purpose. In addition, any candidate shall be prohibited from posting an ad or a
poster in places reserved for the others.
3- The
Commission shall allocate the specified places as per Clause 1 of this article
among lists and candidates according to the order in which requests where filed.
Local
authorities and companies exploiting the ads places shall collaborate with the
Commission for the good implementation of these provisions.
4- No
candidate or list may waive his/its electoral ads places in favor of another
candidate or list.
Article 89
1- Public
utilities, governmental institutions, public institutions, private or public
universities, faculties, institutes and schools, and
houses of worship may not
be used for electoral events, rallies and meetings or for electoral advertising
purpose.
2- Civil
servants and employees of public institutions, municipalities, and municipal
unions along with Mukhtars may not carry out electoral propaganda for a
candidate or a list, nor distribute voting papers or flyers in favor or against
any list or candidate.
Article 90
Distribution
of voting papers, flyers, or any other documents in favor of or against a
candidate or a list shall be prohibited throughout election day at polling
center entrances or any other place located within 200 meters of this center, at
the risk of confiscation without prejudice to all other sentences stated herein.
Article 91
As of the twenty-four hours
preceding polling day until the closing of ballot boxes, all private and public
audio-visual media shall be prohibited from broadcasting any electoral
advertisement or call, and any interviews with candidates.
Article 92
1- The Commission shall specify
the terms for opinion polls during the electoral campaign and the procedure to
follow in order to ensure reliable, fair and impartial polls.
2- The Commission shall specify
the terms and conditions of publication, broadcasting, and distribution of
opinion polls results during the electoral campaign. It shall have all powers to
make sure of the compliance of opinion polls with rules and regulations and with
the Commission’s decision. It shall be entitled to take all necessary measures
in order to stop or remedy violations against audio-visual media, opinion polls
institutions, or any third party.
3- The announcement,
publication, broadcasting, or distribution of the opinion polls results must be
accompanied by, at least, the following, under the responsibility of the
polling institution:
-
Name of the entity conducting the opinion poll
-
Name of the entity asking for and paying the cost of the
opinion poll
-
Size, mode of selection and distribution of the polled
sample
-
Poll technique
-
The verbatim asked questions
-
Limits of results interpretation and margin of error
4- Within the week preceding
polling day until the closing of all ballot boxes, no opinion polls or comments
thereon shall be published, broadcast or distributed in any way whatsoever.
Article 93
The press and
the audio-visual media that wish to cover the voting and counting processes
shall ask the Commission for written permits in this regard in accordance with
Clause 11 Article 19 herein.
Article 94
1- The
Commission shall make sure of the adherence of the audio-visual media in Lebanon
to the electoral advertising provisions mentioned herein and to the decisions
taken in application thereof.
2- The
Commission shall, at its own discretion, assess whether or not, and to what
extent, the access of candidates to satellite media should be part of the
advertising spaces allocated by the Commission to each list or candidate.
3- The
Commission shall immediately consider any complaint filed by a wronged list or a
wronged candidate. Decisions in this regard shall be taken within forty-eight
hours of receipt.
Article 95
1- Without
prejudice to the criminal code, press law, and audio-visual law, the Commission
may impose upon the private audio-visual media breaching the provisions and
decisions related to electoral advertising, sanctions, to the extent that it
deems appropriate, from among the following measures:
-
Give a warning to the defaulting medium and compel it to broadcast an excuse or
enable the wronged candidate to exercise the Right to an Answer.
-
Impose a financial fine on the defaulting medium ranging between 50 and 100
million Lebanese pounds.
-
Suspension of all political and news programs, bulletins, interviews and forums
in that audio-visual medium for up to three days.
-
Totally close the defaulting medium and totally suspend all its programs for a
period up to but no longer than the closing of ballot boxes on election day.
2- In case of violation of
the
provisions and decisions related to electoral advertising, the
Commission may also impose on the defaulting list or candidate a fine ranging
between 50 and 100 million Lebanese pounds without prejudice to legal
proceedings before the competent court when need be.
3- The Commission’s
decisions in this regard shall be taken by the absolute majority of its members.
They shall be justified, urgent and immediately enforceable.
4- The Commission’s
decisions may be appealed, within five days of issuance, to the judge in
chambers of the Court of Cassation.
The said
judge shall consider the contestation in his capacity as a Court of Appeal
judge, regardless of the reasons listed in Article 708 of the Civil Procedure
Code, and shall render his judgment within five days of the date of the
contestation registration at the court registry.
Article 96
The
aforementioned electoral advertising provisions shall not apply to the written
press that shall remain governed by its own rules and regulations.
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Chapter 6
Electoral Process
First:
Voting of Lebanese Residents
Article 97
1- The
electoral constituency shall be divided, as decided by the Commission, into a
number of polling centers (markaz) including polling stations (qalam),
as follows:
-
Each village having at least two hundred registered voters shall be entitled to
one polling station. Otherwise, these voters shall vote in the closest polling
station as determined by the Commission.
-
Each four hundred voters shall be entitled to one polling station at least. The
Commission may decide, on an exceptional basis, to increase the number to six
hundred if deemed necessary for the smooth conduct of the electoral process.
-
The
number of polling stations shall not be more than fifteen in one polling center.
2- The
Commission shall specify polling stations for voters who choose to vote outside
their place of record in accordance with Article 45 herein.
3- The
Commission’s decision regarding the distribution of polling stations shall be
published in the official gazette and on the Commission website at least one
month before polling day. Such a distribution may not be modified within the
week preceding polling day unless for serious reasons and under justified
decision.
4- The
Commission shall establish information offices for voters in all regions in
order to facilitate the determination of their polling stations.
Article 98
1- The
Commission shall, in collaboration with the competent authorities, appoint for
each or many polling centers an officer, and for each polling station a head and
a clerk from amongst civil servants, at least one month before polling day,
provided they are not informed of the polling place they are assigned to until
five days before polling day.
2- Only the
head of the polling station shall have the authority to keep order inside the
polling station. No security forces are allowed to be inside the station without
his request. They intervene temporarily and exclusively to look after the good
conduct of the electoral process.
3- The
polling station head shall not, in any case, prevent the candidates and poll
watchers from exercising their right of supervising electoral activities. He may
not evict any poll watcher unless he causes disorder or is witnessed in a
flagrant offence.
If the
station head takes such a measure, he shall make out a record in this regard
stating the facts, the reasons and the time thereof. He shall then sign it with
all the present poll watchers and immediately submit it to the polling center
officer.
Article 99
1- Voting
shall take place on one day, which shall always be a Sunday, throughout Lebanon.
It shall start at 7:00 am and end at 7:00 pm.
2-
The Commission shall
organize, within each electoral constituency, on the Friday immediately
preceding polling day, a voting process for the civil servants in charge of
running the polling stations. Boxes related to civil servants stations shall be
closed after calculating the number of envelopes in each box. They shall be
dispatched closed to the competent registration committee in order to count them
with the other boxes at the end of Sunday’s electoral process. In this case, the
rules set forth in Article 105 and subsequent articles of the present law shall
be respected.
Article 100
1- The
Commission shall issue, according to the voter rolls, check lists (lawa’ih
shatib) which shall be adopted in all polling stations inside or outside
Lebanon. Each check list shall include, in addition to the data of the voter
rolls, three boxes; the first for the voter’s signature, the second for the
signature of the member in charge of confirming the voting, and the third for
any relevant note.
2- All pages
of the check list of each polling station shall be attached to each other,
numbered, and stamped by the Commission.
3-
No one shall be allowed to vote unless his name is registered on the check list
of the polling station or if he has permission from the competent registration
committee to register his name.
4- The right
to vote shall be suspended:
-
for registered persons under arrest
-
for
registered persons who are in an institution for mental illness even if they are
not under a legal interdiction.
Article 101
1- Each
polling station shall be made up of a head and a clerk as mentioned in Article
98 herein, with four assistants chosen by the polling station head at the
opening of the station from among the present voters who can read and write. The
Commission may, if necessary, appoint reserve assistants.
2- The head
of the polling station and at least half of the assistants must be present
throughout the electoral process.
Article 102
1- Each
candidate within a majority vote constituency and each list within a PR
constituency shall have the right to delegate one of the electoral constituency
voters to access the polling station at the rate of one poll watcher for every
polling station. They may also choose mobile poll watchers from among the voters
of the constituency who shall have access to all polling stations within the
said constituency. In this case, each three polling centers shall have one poll
watcher.
2- The
Commission shall provide the poll watchers with passes according to rules
specified by it.
3-
Supervisors appointed by the Commission according to Article 19 Clause 14
herein, may enter, at any moment, the polling stations to accompany the
developments of the electoral process.
Article 103
Security
forces shall maintain order at the entrance of and around the polling centers
under the supervision of the Commission. Any electoral or advertising activity,
for example loudspeakers use, shall be prohibited within a 200 meter radius from
the polling center.
Article 104
1- The
Commission shall provide the polling stations with the necessary equipment and
stationery for the electoral process. Furthermore, it shall provide them with
two ballot boxes with one hole each made up of a transparent solid material; one
for the majority vote constituency and another for the PR constituency.
2- Each
polling station shall have one or more voting booths, all conforming to the
specifications determined by the Commission.
3- No voting
operation shall be carried out in a station that does not have a voting booth.
Otherwise, the voting operation shall be annulled in the polling station in
question.
Article 105
Before the
commencement of voting, the polling station head shall open the two boxes stated
in the previous article and verify with the polling station panel and the poll
watchers that they are empty. He shall then lock them using two different locks;
one key remains with him and the other with the eldest assistant.
2- During the electoral
operations, official copies of electoral lists and the Commission’s decision
that establishes and designates the polling station shall be published at the
polling station entrance. A copy of the electoral law and a list of the poll
watchers shall be placed on a table in the polling station so that the voters,
the candidates and their poll watchers can examine them.
3- Before the commencement
and until the end of the electoral operations, the polling station head shall
make sure that all posters, symbols, writings, and slogans of any nature
whatsoever are removed from the polling station.
Article 106
1- Voting shall take place
by means of ballot papers prepared by the Commission for each electoral
constituency. They shall be available only at the polling station as of 7:00 am.
2- There shall be two types
of ballot papers:
-
The
first shall be for majority vote constituencies. In this case, the ballot paper
shall include all candidates’ names within the constituency with a photograph of
each one of them next to their names, in addition to other information and
specifications to be determined in the specimen set by the Commission.
-
The
second shall be for PR constituencies. In this case, the ballot paper shall
include the names of all lists and candidates forming these lists, in addition
to the specifications determined in the specimen set by the Commission, such as:
each candidate’s name, surname and father’s name (in alphabetical order
according to the family name), a photograph of each candidate near his name, and
an empty box near the photographs where the voter can exercise his right to two
preferential votes as per Article 109 herein.
3- Voters shall be bound to
use these ballot papers and no other ones in order to exercise their right to
vote.
Article 107
1- As soon as the voter
enters the polling station, the head shall make sure of his identity according
to his ID card.
2- After the polling
station panel has made sure that the voter’s name exists on the check list of
the polling station, the head shall give the voter two opaque and stamped
envelopes; the first for the constituency subject to the majoritarian system and
the second for the PR one. The head or his assistant shall sign each of these
envelopes in front of the voter as soon as they are given to him. Envelopes of
each type shall be similar for all voters. The number of each type of envelopes
delivered to the polling station shall be equal to the number of the registered
voters of this polling station. Unused envelopes shall be attached to the
record.
Before voting operations,
the head shall, under his full responsibility, make sure that the number of all
sealed envelopes of both types is absolutely equal to the number of the
registered voters. In case there is any difference, he shall immediately inform
the Commission thereof in order to remedy the situation.
Article 108
The polling station head
shall give the voter both ballot papers mentioned in Article 106 herein and
shall ask him to go necessarily into the voting booth so that he can put in each
of the mentioned stamped envelopes the relevant ballot paper.
Article 109
1- Each voter shall be
entitled:
-
To
vote, in the majoritarian vote constituency, for a number of candidates equal to
the number of seats allocated to it on a confessional basis.
-
To
vote, in the PR constituency, for one closed list chosen amongst the competing
lists. In order to rank the candidates, the voter shall cast two preferential
votes for two candidates from the list he has chosen provided that these two
candidates belong to two different cadas, by ticking the box mentioned in Clause
2 of Article 106 herein.
2- In case the candidate
has not cast any preferential vote, voting shall be considered valid and the
list shall be counted regardless of ranking votes. If he casts only one
preferential vote, it shall be counted along with the list. However, if he casts
more than two preferential votes or casts them in a way contrary to the
provisions of the previous clause, they shall be considered void and only the
list shall be taken into account.
Article 110
1- The voter shall put each
ballot paper in the relevant envelope while he is still in the voting booth. He
may not put in each envelope more than one ballot paper. Afterwards, he shall
come to the polling station panel and show them that he holds only two stamped
envelopes. The head makes sure of that without touching the envelopes and
authorizes the voter to drop, in person, each envelope in the relevant ballot
box.
2- The polling station head
shall make sure that the voter has indeed gone into the voting booth; if the
voter fails to do so he shall be prohibited from voting.
3- Voting is confirmed by the
voter’s signature on the check list or by inking his thumb with a special
indelible ink provided by the Commission for all polling stations. The said ink
should last at least 24 hours. Any voter with such ink on his thumb is barred
from voting again.
4- The polling station head
shall, under his own responsibility, prevent any voter who breaches the
provisions of Clause 1 of the present article from voting.
Article 111
No voter may
delegate to anyone his right to vote. However, a handicapped voter who cannot
put his voting paper in one of the aforementioned envelopes and drop it in one
of the ballot boxes shall be allowed, under the supervision of the polling
station panel, to have the assistance of another voter of his choice. This event
shall be written down in the box reserved on the check list for the comments.
Article 112
The Commission shall take
into consideration the needs of disabled persons while organizing the election
process and facilitate all measures allowing them to exercise their right to
vote with no obstacles.
The Commission shall put in
place a relevant exhaustive implementation code after consulting with Disabled
Persons organizations and Service Providing organizations set forth in the Law
on Rights of Disabled Persons no 220 dated 29/5/2000.
Article 113
The polling
station head shall announce the end of the voting process at 7:00 pm. However,
if there are still voters present in the entrance area of the polling station
who have not voted yet, the deadline shall be extended until they have finished
voting. This event shall be written down in the record.
Article 114
1- At the end
of the voting process, only the polling station panel, the poll watchers and the
authorized observers may stay inside the polling station. Each of the ballot
boxes shall be opened and the envelopes shall be counted. If their number is
more or less than the number of the crossed-off names, this shall be mentioned
in the record drawn up by the polling station head for each box in two original
copies. This record shall be signed by the head and the whole polling station
panel. A copy of each record shall be posted at the polling station door. Each
candidate or poll watcher may have, at his request, a certified copy of the said
records before they are posted.
2- Envelopes
shall be placed in each of the boxes along with the copy of the relevant record.
The boxes shall then be locked again and sealed as specified by the Commission.
The head and the clerk and whoever of the poll watchers who wishes shall with no
delay transfer the boxes, with security escort, to the competent registration
committee.
Second:
Out-of-country Voting
Article 115
Every
Lebanese citizen that does not reside on the Lebanese territory shall be
entitled to vote only if his name is registered on the voter rolls stated in
Article 32 herein.
Article 116
Voting of
non-resident Lebanese citizens shall be governed by the provisions of Article 99
and subsequent articles herein. The following provisions shall be observed:
1- At least
two months before polling day, the Commission shall send each Lebanese embassy
or consulate, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, CD-ROMs of
the check lists of the Lebanese citizens reporting to this embassy or
consulate.
2- Each
Lebanese embassy or consulate and each other place determined by the Commission
in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign and Emigrant Affairs shall
constitute a polling station.
3- The
Commission shall, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign and Emigrant
Affairs, appoint a polling station panel made up of a head and a clerk from
among the employees of the embassy or the consulate abroad. It shall also
specify their powers in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign and Emigrant
Affairs.
The voter
shall vote with his Lebanese ID card or a valid Lebanese passport.
Article 117
In
coordination with the Ministry of Foreign and Emigrant Affairs, the Commission
shall specify by virtue of a decision how to implement the provisions of the
present law as to out-of-country voting for non-resident Lebanese.
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Chapter 7
Counting of Votes and Announcement of Results
Article 118
Primary counting of votes
shall take place in front of the competent registration committee that receives
all ballot boxes and records of the polling stations falling within its scope.
The delivery shall be done by the polling station head who draws up a record in
this regard. The Commission shall provide the registration committee with all
necessary equipment, namely a transparent container big enough to take all the
envelopes, a scanning machine connected to a programmed computer and a wide
screen where the results would be displayed, in addition to any other
installations meant to secure the automation of the electoral process in a sound
way.
Article 119
The envelopes shall be
placed in a large transparent container in stages, each of at least 10 polling
stations. They shall be mechanically counted under the supervision of the
registration committee, the poll watchers and the observers.
The president of the
registration committee or his assignee shall open the envelopes successively,
making sure that each envelope contains only one official ballot paper. Counting
of votes shall start with a scanning machine showing separately each voting
paper on the wide screen. The programmed computer also counts the votes.
The registration committee
shall stamp every duly counted valid ballot paper with a seal provided by the
Commission for this purpose.
In all cases, official
ballot papers shall be confidentially kept by the Commission, for three months
from the date of results announcement, in packets referring to the relevant
group of polling stations. The Commission shall then destroy them under a record
drawn up for this purpose as long as the Constitutional Council has not
requested them.
Article 120
Any paper other than the
official ballot paper and any paper containing identification marks shall be
deemed a “spoiled vote”. Each envelope containing more than one ballot paper
shall be considered void.
As for empty envelopes,
they shall be considered as blank votes and shall be mentioned in the record
that specifies the number of blank and spoiled votes. Their total shall be
mentioned in the final counting record.
Spoiled votes shall be
kept, after noting on them the reason why they were considered void, and they
shall be stamped with the seal mentioned in the previous article.
Article 121
As a result of the primary
counting process, the competent registration committee shall note:
-
The
number of votes won by each candidate in the majority vote constituency
-
The
number of votes won by each list in the PR constituency in addition to the
number of preferential votes belonging to each candidate
-
The
results shall be sent with no delay to the higher registration committee by
virtue of two records, the first for majority vote constituencies and the second
for PR constituencies.
Article 122
Candidates and poll
watchers may have a certified copy of each counting record containing the
results of each registration committee.
Article 123
1- Immediately after
receiving the records referred by the registration committees, the higher
registration committee shall write down the total number of votes won by each
candidate in the majority vote constituencies and the total number of votes of
each list in the PR constituencies along with the number of preferential votes
won by these lists’ candidates.
2- The higher registration
committee shall draw up for each category of results a record attached to a
general schedule. The said record shall be submitted to the central higher
registration committee mentioned in Article 25 herein that shall, in its turn,
submit it to the Commission.
Article 124
1- Within the majority vote
constituencies, the candidate with the highest number of votes for each
contested seat shall be declared the winner. In case of equal votes between two
candidates running for the same seat, the eldest candidate shall win.
2- The number of seats
going to each list in PR constituencies is determined according to the electoral
quotient.
3- In order to determine
the electoral quotient, the number of voters of each Muhafaza shall be
divided by the number of seats of this Muhafaza.
4-
Each list shall get a
number of seats equal to the total number of votes it received divided by the
electoral quotient. The remaining seats shall go to the qualified lists with the
highest fraction. In case of vacant seats after the distribution of fractions,
they shall go to the qualified lists starting from the first list.
5- Candidates shall be declared winners starting with the candidate with the
highest number of preferential votes no matter what list he belongs to, then the
candidate with the second highest number of preferential votes, and so on, until
candidates of qualified lists fill all their deserved number of seats within the
constituency. The candidate whose turn is to be considered but meets one of the
following conditions shall be eliminated and replaced with the candidate who
comes directly after him.
-
A candidate running for a confessional seat within a
given cada/electoral unit that has already been filled;
- A candidate from a
list that has already filled all its deserved seats.
6- In case of equal
preferential votes between two candidates, the eldest candidate shall be ranked
higher.
Article 125
The Commission shall be in
charge of announcing through the media the final results and the names of the
winning candidates, winning lists and winning list candidates, within
twenty-four hours of receipt of all records from the central higher registration
committee.
The Commission shall notify
the President of Parliament and the President of the Constitutional Council of
these results.
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Chapter 8
Incompatibility between Parliamentary Membership
and Some Other Offices
Article 126
1-
No one may be a Member or President of Parliament and at the same time be a
board member or chairperson of any public institution or public utility
institution or hold any post in any public administration, public institution,
municipality, municipal union, privileged company, mixed-economy company, or
public-capital company.
No
MP may hold any religious post with a salary or remuneration paid from the
Treasury.
Each
of those elected as MP shall be automatically considered discharged from their
job if they do not refuse the MP mandate within one month of election results
announcement.
2- No one may be a Member of
Parliament and at the same time be attorney of the State or any of its
departments or its public institutions or municipalities or municipal unions or
any of the institutions or companies mentioned in Clause 1 above.
Each of those elected as MP
shall be automatically discharged from his duties.
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Chapter 9
Miscellaneous Provisions
Article 127
No public
monopoly, concession or business contract may be awarded to a deputy or to any
of his first- or second degree relatives.
Article 128
Wherever the
present law makes no provision as to the implementation of its content, the
Commission shall be in charge of specifying such implementation details.
Article 129
The present
law shall be published in the official gazette.
The present
draft law is prepared by the National Commission on Parliamentary Electoral Law
appointed by the Council of Ministers under Decision no 58 dated 8/8/2005 and
composed of Messrs:
Fouad
Boutros (President)-
Ghaleb Mahmassany- Michel
Tabet- Zouheir Shokr- Ghassan Abou Alwan- Zyiad Baroud- Nawaf Salam- Abdel Salam
Sheaib- Fayez Al-Hajj Shahine- Paul Salem- Khaldoun Naja- Arda Ekmekji
Top
Dear President and Members of the
National Commission on Parliamentary Electoral Law,
Subject: Lodging of an objection
In application of the Rules of Procedure of the
Commission, I would like to lodge the following objection:
With great respect of the
circumstances that made the majority of the Commission members settle on
dividing the traditional Mount Lebanon muhafazat into two constituencies, I
hereby oppose their decision and insist – within the scope of the proposed draft
law exclusively- on the unity of the said muhafazat, for the following reasons:
1-
One of the significant characteristics of the draft law
agreed upon by the Commission is that it adopted, for the distribution of seats
within cadas and muhafazats, clear and predetermined criteria according to which
seats were to be distributed. One of these criteria is the adoption of the five
“traditional” muhafazats. As a result, the muhafazat of Nabatiye (established
since 1975), and the two muhafazats of Baalbek/Hermel and Akkar (both
established in 2003) were all eliminated. Consequently, the division of Mount
Lebanon into two constituencies will be considered a breach of the adopted
criterion and will constitute the only exception thereof. Such a breach might be
seen as a constitutional infringement in accordance with Decision no 4/96 dated
7/8/1996 of the Constitutional Council providing for “One [prevailing] criterion
throughout all Lebanese regions for the sake of equality”.
2-
The argument that Mount Lebanon is the biggest Muhafaza
and should therefore be divided is to be dismissed. In fact, the number of seats
allocated under the proposed draft law for the said muhafazat is 13, while it
amounts to 11 in the muhafazat of the North, 9 in the South, and 9 in Beirut.
Thus, the difference does not imply any division; on the contrary, it would
result in two muhafazas in Mount Lebanon the first of 6 seats and the second of
7!
3-
Such a division, if adopted, would push some people to
propose to also divide the muhafaza of the North (comprising 28 seats and
including, since 2003, the muhafaza of Akkar), as well as the muhafaza of the
South (comprising 23 seats and including, since 1975, the muhafaza of Nabatiyeh),
and the muhafaza of the Bekaa (comprising 20 seats and including, since 2003,
the muhafaza of Baalbek/Hermel). Consequently, the coherent draft law would be
subject to altercations that were overcome owing to the criterion of the
historical muhafazas and the existing cadas.
4-
The difference in the number of seats among cadas: some
cadas are single-seat or two-seat cadas (Batroun, Besharre, Danniye, Saida, Tyr,
Hasbaya…), while others comprise 5 or 6 seats (Zahle, Tripoli, Baabda…), one
seat- as an average- being allocated for each confession. Therefore, it would be
more appropriate to adopt equal distribution of seats within cadas or the
single-member constituency within these cadas, in order to standardize the
electoral quotient and enhance fair representation.
THEREFORE,
For the
aforementioned reasons, I hereby lodge my objection to what has been agreed by
most of the Commission members.
Beirut, on
31/5/2006
Ziyad
Baroud
Commission
member
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