Lebanese Elections: Who's Spending What?

Lebanon, not the United States, may be home to the most expensive elections.

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A trend started by Rafiq Hariri, former slain prime minister. Hariri made his billions in construction in Saudi Arabia and then returned to Lebanon - a small nation of 4million - and began planning a political career by using his fortune first for seemingly innocent causes like rebuilding Civil War-torn Beirut and student scholarships.

But with Syrian and Saudi-backing, Hariri used his billions to successful seek high office and through brides he was able to eventually become the sole, for all intents, leader of Lebanon (this bribery even included the president Emil Lahood).

Hariri's son Sa'ad had to rely on more family money when he inherited his father's political party due to Sa'ad lack of any charisma of personality. It is estimated that in the 2005 election, Sa'ad spent 150million.

Such is Lebanon. And such is often politics. The rich think they can buy office. Lebanon's elections just may be more blatant. In the 2008 elections, three billionaires contested a seat in Tripoli.

But what makes Lebanon truly unique is the level of foreign money, and the manipulation that comes with it, that dominates the nation's politics to the great determent of the Lebanese:

I have learned that Saudi Arabia has spent close to $1 billion in the last Lebanese parliamentary election, while Iran spent around $100 million. Syria set aside $50 million to spend but was snookered by the Saudi government which urged Syria to agree to a pledge that neither Syria nor Saudi Arabia would spend any money in the Lebanese election.

Many Lebanese would tell the three: Go Home!