Former Prime Minister Omar Karami is expected to announce Monday the formation of a new "National Front" allied with Syria, An Nahar reported. The daily said that Karami will make the announcement from his Beirut home at 5 p.m. It said the new alliance will be comprised of pro-Syrian figures including former legislators and ministers. An Nahar said Karami, former MP Suleiman Franjieh, former Vice Speaker Elie Firzly, ex-Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Murad, Druze leader Walid Jumblat's rival Talal Arslan and former Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud are among the prominent members of the new front. Last month, Karami and Franjieh announced at a joint news conference that they were in the final stages of launching the new coalition. Karami then said the main goals of the new coalition will be replacing Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's cabinet with a national unity government, followed by holding early parliamentary elections. The former premier accused the anti-Syria parliamentary majority of bringing the country to a standstill because of ongoing bickering with pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud and his allies. He told reporters that he and Franjieh decided to unite to confront "the devastation that we're seeing on all levels."
Karami, a Sunni Muslim and Franjieh, a Maronite Christian, are Syria's closest allies in northern Lebanon where they head powerful clans. Franjieh was Interior Minister in a cabinet headed by Karami when ex-Premier Rafik Hariri was killed in Feb. 2005. Franjieh has denied that his front would be used as a tool by Syria to serve the neighboring country's interests in Lebanon.