22. Is there a limit on in-kind donations to candidates?

Law no.44 Parliamentary Elections 2017

Article 58: Campaign spending

In the present law, the term “campaign

spending” shall indicate all expenses paid by

the list or candidate and all expenses paid for

the account or benefit of either one of them,

with their express or tacit consent, by natural or

legal persons, political parties, associations or

any other bodies, provided that such expenses

directly serve the electoral campaign, voting

process or legitimate communication between

the candidate list or candidate and the voter,

including:

Securing the rent and other expenses of

campaign offices; organizing campaignrelated

rallies, events, public meetings and

banquets; expenses related to equipment used

in the campaign; preparing, publishing and

disseminating media and advertising material

through books, brochures, bulletins, leaflets,

printed letters, or through post and electronic

mail; preparing, disseminating and posting

pictures, stickers, posters and billboards;

paying compensation or allowances in cash or

in kind to the campaign staff and candidate

agents; campaign staff and voter transport and

relocation expenses; travel expenses of nonresident

voters; expenses related to electoral

advertising and opinion polls; any other

expenses paid for the purposes of the campaign

to any radio or television broadcasting station,

newspaper, magazine or any other means of

publication, including electronic means.

Article 61: Campaign spending limit

The maximum amount that each candidate

may spend during the campaign period shall be

determined according to the following:

The limit amount is composed of a fixed lump

sum of one hundred and fifty million Lebanese

pounds and a variable sum determined by the

number of voters in the major constituency in

which the candidate may be elected, on the

basis of five thousand Lebanese pounds per

voter registered in the voter lists in the major

constituency.

The campaign spending limit of a candidate list

is a fixed lump sum of one hundred fifty million

Lebanese pounds per candidate.

This spending limit may be reconsidered at

the opening of the campaign period in light

of the economic conditions, by virtue of a

decree adopted by the Council of Ministers at

the suggestion of the Minister of Interior and

Municipalities and following consultations with

the Commission.