Omar Karami: Lebanon needs a "salvation government"

Former Prime Minister Omar Karami held on Saturday a press conference in which he condemned Tripoli's sectarian clashes.

On the 26th anniversary of former PM Rashid Karami's assassination, Karami called on Tripoli's residents "to throw their weapons and sparing Tripoli futile wars that serve only the Israeli enemy."

The port city of Tripoli has long been a stronghold of Sunni Islamists in northern Lebanon.

But the city has become increasingly volatile in recent months due to the civil war in neighbouring Syria, where the Sunni majority is leading a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

Supporters of either side have clashed frequently, heightening fears that the war is spilling over into Lebanon.

He also urged the Lebanese leaders to convene in a bid to ease down the sectarian tensions in the country.

Karami noted that Lebanon is in dire need of a "salvation government" tasking to preserve the civil peace and to solidify the national unity.

Tammam Salam was named Prime Minister-Designate after the second round of the binding parliamentary consultations to name a prime minister ended on April 6 at the Baabda Palace, with 124 deputies nominating Salam as Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced the cabinet's resignation on Friday March 22, after talks deadlocked over the extension of Internal Security Forces chief Major General Ashraf Riff's mandate and the formation of an Election Supervisory Committee.