Municipal elections: In Beirut, Hariri's withdrawal gives competition a chance

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced Wednesday that his party, the Future Movement, would not take part in Lebanon’s upcoming municipal elections. His announcement extends a four-year political hiatus and reshapes the race, especially in Beirut, where his party has historically commanded the capital’s Sunni vote.The withdrawal brings uncertainty into the May elections and could provide an opening for independent and civil society candidates who nearly pulled off a majority win in 2016. “This makes the election more competitive since we do not have to face an almost invincible coalition,” said MP Ibrahim Mneimneh, a protest figure who ran in 2016 with “Beirut Madinati.”Hariri’s absence, widely seen as linked to a drop in Saudi support, has loosened the traditional electoral structure in Beirut, where major parties usually unite...