Omar Karami Passes Away after Long Battle with Illness
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Former Prime Minister Omar Karami passed away overnight Wednesday at the age of 80 after a long battle with illness.
The family issued a statement on Thursday saying: “with a lot of grief we announce the death of PM Omar Karami, who passed away today.”
“We have lost a precious person and the best husband, father and grand father.”
His health had been deteriorating for the past two years, and he was admitted to hospital a month ago, falling into a coma a few days before his death.
Karami came from a Lebanese Sunni political dynasty -- his father was one of the architects of Lebanon's independence in 1943 -- and served as prime minister twice.
But both his terms ended with him resigning under public pressure.
Karami was Prime Minister of Lebanon for the first time from 24 December 1990, when Selim al-Hoss gave up power, until 13 May 1992, when he resigned due to economical instability.
He was sworn in again on 26 October 2004 and resigned on 19 April 2005, amid protests following the assassination of the ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri.
Karami was a longtime ally of the Syrian regime and was accused of subservience to President Bashar Assad.
He was educated in Cairo, and was married with four children, including son Faisal, a former minister.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam offered his condolences to the family for the death of Karami, saying: “He left behind him a great legacy that will live forever in the memories of the nation.”
“He realized the meaning of Lebanon and the importance of preserving coexistence,” Salam said, describing him as the “man of moderation.”
Several politicians, including Kataeb Party chief Amin Gemayel, former PM Najib Miqati, ex-PM Fouad Saniora, Progressive Socialist Party's media official Rami Rayyes, AMAL's Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and religious figures offered their condolences to the Karami Family.
The body of Karami will be buried on Friday at noon at the family's cemetery in Tripoli's Bab al-Ramel neighborhood.
PM Salam later declared an official three-day period of mourning and said flags on every public building would fly at half-mast for three days from Friday to mourn the death of ex-PM Karami.
01 January 2015, 10:06
12
RIP Omar Karami and may you meet Flamethrower in your final destination.
01 January 2015, 13:29
55
Accepted by the syrians twice as prime minister. Not accepted twice by the lebanese people. This man did not have any idea about the meaning of Lebanon, and his idea of coexistance was under a syrian hegemony.
01 January 2015, 15:39
53
May God have mercy on his soul. Today he is facing the real justice with his maker. Today he will have neither the chance nor the opportunity to buy any judge, nor lawyer, today he leaves everything behind and face the ultimate judgement. As a politician, a Lebanese politician, though we may feel that he will have lots to explain to his creator, yet all has been chronicled in one frame for him.
01 January 2015, 15:51
12
a real patriot, a real supporter of the resistance, a real mowaten
01 January 2015, 15:55
36
I respect Mr. Karami, Mr. Nassrallah, Mr. Flamethrower, and Mr. Wiam Wahhab equally.
01 January 2015, 16:15
10
Karami Failure #2 will now join Karami Failure #1 (Rachid).
The government should not have anything at half-mast in mourning for 3 days or whatever,as per PM Salam. Lebanon needs to stop honoring failure (not to say much worse).
01 January 2015, 21:05
11
I agree with you, but stupid comment. The article is about karami so why would they mention all that other stuff? what they described isn't untrue.
01 January 2015, 22:41
21
Maybe, but still better than the amateur prime minister who was fired out of office while meeting with the U.S. president.
