Lebanon is now in top gear for the parliamentary elections that will occur on June 7, and billboards throughout the land will soon bear images of leaders and the political symbols of the various competing parties. The new electoral law, signed post-Doha accords, not only puts a limit on campaign spending at roughly $100,000, with an added variable that depends on the number of voters within the electoral district determined by the Council of Ministers, but also stated that the private and public media wishing to take part in electoral advertising should create “a price list and information on the ‘spaces’ it intends to consecrate for electoral advertising and promotion.” An interesting facet about the new electoral law and electoral campaigning is that the Internet has been ignored. All references to the law refer to “radio, TV or printed media.” According to the International Telecommunication Union, 24 percent of Lebanese now has access to Internet. The role the Internet played in 2005 was relatively important, the 2009 elections will see the World Wide Web move center stage. It is likely that after this year’s elections there will be calls for regulation as the number of spam mail, abusive rumors and websites grows dramatically. However, those who try to regulate the Internet in Lebanon may find it as difficult as trying to regulate the politicians.
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