As Lebanon prepares for its upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for May 2025, growing attention is being paid to the positions of municipal council members and presidents. In a context where local governance is increasingly viewed as a driver of change, many are considering a run for office. But what does it take to become a candidate? Here’s a comprehensive overview.
Municipal elections in Lebanon are held every six years, allowing citizens to elect members of municipal councils in each locality. These councils are then responsible for electing a president from among their members, who serves as the local executive authority.
General Eligibility Criteria
To run for municipal office, candidates must meet the following requirements, as per Law No. 118/1977 on Municipalities: be a Lebanese citizen for at least ten years, be at least 25 years old on election day, enjoy full civil rights (i.e., have a clean criminal record, free of any convictions for crimes affecting honor or public morality) and be registered on the electoral lists of the municipality in which they intend to run. As for married women, they can run either in their municipality of origin or that of their spouse.
Application Procedure
Candidacy applications must be submitted to the offices of the relevant governorate (mohafazat) no later than ten days before the election. Candidates may withdraw their applications up to five days before the election.
For example, for elections scheduled in Mount Lebanon on Sunday, May 4, 2025, applications must be submitted by midnight on April 23, and withdrawals must be made by midnight on Monday, April 28.
Applicants are required to provide the following documents, along with a deposit of ten million Lebanese pounds at the governorate office:
- A digital copy of their individual civil registry record;
- A recent criminal record extract (dated within one month);
- A certified photocopy of the electoral roll showing the candidate’s name, authenticated by the secretary of the vote-counting committee;
- A notarized declaration of candidacy.
According to Article 18 of the above-mentioned law, each candidate must file a notarized declaration with the relevant governorate at least ten days prior to the election, stating their name and the municipality in which they are running.
Once submitted, the governor (mohafez) issues a receipt confirming the application. Then, he has three days to issue a reasoned decision either accepting or rejecting the candidacy. If no decision is made within this period, the application is implicitly deemed accepted.
The decision (acceptance or rejection) is then posted publicly, and a report is prepared and signed by the relevant official.
In case of rejection, candidates may file an appeal with the Council of State within one week of the notification. This appeal is exempt from fees and formalities. The Council must issue a ruling within five days of the appeal’s registration; if it fails to do so, the candidacy is deemed accepted.
The names of accepted candidates must be displayed without delay on the door of the relevant municipality.
Incompatibilities and Restrictions
Certain public or professional positions are legally incompatible with municipal candidacy. Under Law No. 118/1977, one cannot simultaneously serve as president or member of a municipal council while holding any of the following roles: Member of Parliament or government minister, moukhtar (local official), judge or any judicial office, civil servant, president or board member of an independent authority or public institution or member of a committee managing public service projects.
To be eligible, individuals in these positions must resign no less than six months prior to the end of the municipal council’s term.
Furthermore, the following individuals are barred from running: illiterates, individuals stripped of their civil rights by court order, individuals convicted of major crimes or serious offenses, including those listed under Articles 329 to 334 of the Penal Code, individuals convicted of belonging to secret organizations and persons under judicial guardianship due to mental illness or insanity.
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