Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the leader of the Future Movement, announced on Wednesday that his party will not participate in Lebanon’s upcoming municipal elections, choosing to abstain from fielding candidates or endorsing any lists – both in Beirut and across the country.
“Based on my conviction that municipal elections are developmental, not political, I have instructed the Future Movement to refrain from intervening in these elections – whether through nominations or endorsements,” Hariri said in a statement published on X (formerly Twitter).
The decision is especially significant for Beirut, where the Future Movement – founded by Hariri’s late father, former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri – has historically played a unifying role among the capital’s diverse political, sectarian and social groups.
Hariri took aim at the country’s municipal system, describing it as “dysfunctional” and pointing out that real executive power often rests not with elected municipal councils, but with appointed governors.
“This renders the councils and their presidents largely ineffective,” he noted, adding that political cooperation often unravels once elections conclude, leading to paralysis and stalled development.
He also criticized former political allies who, he said, shift to adversarial roles after elections while blaming the Future Movement for institutional failures. “What is even more regrettable is that some political parties that rely on the Future Movement as a cornerstone of electoral alliances are the same ones that later criticize it, overlooking the real causes of failure within the councils,” he said.
The former premier also sounded the alarm over what he described as attempts to “distort Beirut’s identity” through hybrid electoral lists and the use of “unprecedented sectarian rhetoric” that, in his view, undermines the capital’s social fabric.
“Many people in Beirut are committed to preserving the developmental – not political – nature of municipal elections,” Hariri said. He issued a stern warning to any group attempting to co-opt his party’s legacy or lay claim to its supporter base: “Any attempt by any party in the capital to speak on behalf of the Future Movement or assume guardianship over its supporters will not be tolerated.”
Despite the Future Movement’s absence, Hariri expressed confidence in the democratic process. “I fully trust the voters’ ability to choose what is best for their cities and towns across Lebanon, particularly in the capital, Beirut. I respect their democratic choices, whatever they may be, and I am equally confident in their national consciousness to preserve parity in the city.”
The announcement marks a continued step back from political life for the Future Movement, which suspended its activities ahead of the 2022 parliamentary elections, signaling a broader retreat from Lebanon’s volatile political scene.
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