Candidates led by the son of slain ex-Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri have won all the seats in Lebanon's four-stage general elections. pfoto: Yahoo

    BEIJING, May 30 -- Candidates led by the son of slain ex-Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri have won all the seats in Lebanon's four-stage general elections.

government official said Sunday that Saad Hariri's bloc had already won nine of the capital's 19 seats in the 128-member parliament before Sunday's vote because they were not contested.

    Saad Hariri praised Lebanese people for voting in a democratic atmosphere and said the victory will be conducive to the country's freedom and sovereignty.

    Beirut was the first region to go to the polls. Other regions vote over the next three days.

    Meanwhile, UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen congratulated Lebanon for conducting the first round of polling successfully, saying it represents a significant step for the Lebanese people in their quest for recovering their full political independence and sovereignty.

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)