Following the eviction of the Lebanese University’s Faculty of Law in the Sanaeh area and its relocation to the Lebanese University’s campus in Hadath in preparation to turn the old premises into a national library, the Cabinet decided in early 2010 to put part of these premises at the disposal of the neighboring Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities, which was to use them as headquarters for the Directorate General of Political Affairs and Refugees. Later, at the end of 2011, having awarded the contract to establish the library through Qatari funds worth USD 25 million, the government requested the Ministry of the Interior to vacate the site it had been occupying. 

 

As the government began gearing up for the 2014 parliamentary elections, the Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities sought alternate premises for the Directorate General of Political Affairs, for it was the department tasked with holding the elections. 
To this end, the Ministry rented the first floor of plot no. 2795 in Ras Beirut, near Banque du Liban. The floor covering 850 square meters belongs to Nada and Henry Shaul, who are the children of the former Minister Joseph Shaul, and was to be used as headquarters for both the directorate and the elections supervisory committee.

Cost of the building
The annual rental contract amounted to USD 100,000 and LBP 30 million were allocated for repairs and electric installations.

Estimated cost of elections
The government estimated the administrative cost of the electoral operation at LBP 27 billion distributed as follows:
-    LBP 6,720,000,000 for 6000 polling stations, each costing LBP 1,120,000. The amount is assigned to cover the transportation fees of the heads and clerks of stations.

-    LBP 1,120,000,000 for 2000 reserve staff.

-    LBP 4.4 billion for the heads and members of primary and higher registration committees as well as the employees and the security forces’ personnel involved in preparing and overseeing the election.

-    LBP 600 million: advance payment for the Muhafizeen and district commissioners.

-    LBP 100 million: advance payment for the Directorate General of Political Affairs and Refugees.

-    LBP 450 million: food allowance for the security personnel including the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army.

-    LBP 60 million: car rental costs for the transportation of the ISF members (the ISF lacks sufficient vehicles).

-    LBP 100 million for the perusals and readings prepared in response to electoral appeals. The Constitutional Council is usually assigned this mission, which raises the question of who is receiving these remunerations.

-    LBP 825 million for TVs, cameras and computers. 

-    LBP 850 million for the transportation of TVs, cameras, generators and booths.

-    LBP 500 million for the accommodation of polling stations to receive voters with special needs.

-    LBP 1.5 billion: salaries and remunerations of the members and employees of the elections’ supervisory committee.

-    LBP 1.5 billion for consensual agreements signed to supply registration committees with computers.

-    LBP 1.5 billion for the transportation of ballot boxes from polling stations and for the equipment of polling stations abroad.

-    LBP 500 million for electoral publications and stationery.

-    LBP 150 million for the issuance of voters’ lists.

-    LBP 50 million for posting the electoral findings on the website of the Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities.

-    LBP 500 million for the garments of the heads and clerks of polling stations.

-    LBP 75 million for miscellaneous bills.

-    LBP 1 billion held in reserve.

Not holding the elections has deprived the Lebanese of their right to choose their representatives and denied employees the chance of deriving benefits from their electoral work. On the brighter side though, it has spared the Lebanese treasury LBP 27 billion.