The sister of Lebanon's slain former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and another candidate have won two of 23 seats up for grabs in south Lebanon, raising to 11 the number of seats clinched before a vote is cast. Bahia al-Hariri and Osama Saad, both running in Sidon, won by default because no other candidates ran to challenge them, officials said on Saturday. A total of 53 candidates are running in the two constituencies of south Lebanon. Elections, held in four rounds between May 29 and June 19, there are set for June 5. An election list led by Rafik al-Hariri's son Saad had already won nine of 19 seats in Beirut after a spate of candidate withdrawals this week. The first round of Lebanon's phased polls will take place in Beirut on May 29, Reuters reported.
