Lebanon's Safadi withdraws candidacy to be PM, urges Hariri for the post

Former Lebanese finance minister Mohammad Safadi withdrew his candidacy to be the next prime minister on Saturday, saying that he saw that it would have been difficult to form a "harmonious" cabinet supported by all parties.

Safadi, in a statement from his office, said he hoped outgoing prime minister Saad al-Hariri would be designated again for the post. Hariri quit on Oct. 29 in the face of unprecedented anti-government protests.