Omar Karami facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Omar Karami
عمر كرامي |
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Omar Karami
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| Prime Minister of Lebanon | |
| In office 26 October 2004 – 19 April 2005 |
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| President | Emile Lahoud |
| Deputy | Issam Fares |
| Preceded by | Rafik Hariri |
| Succeeded by | Najib Mikati |
| In office 24 December 1990 – 13 May 1992 |
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| President | Elias Hrawi |
| Deputy | Michel Murr |
| Preceded by | Selim al-Hoss |
| Succeeded by | Rashid el-Solh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 September 1934 An Nouri, French Mandate of Lebanon |
| Died | 1 January 2015 (aged 80) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Political party | Arab Liberation Party |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Omar Abdul Hamid Karami (born September 7, 1934 – died January 1, 2015) was a significant political figure in Lebanon. He served as the 29th Prime Minister of Lebanon for two separate periods. His first time as Prime Minister was from December 1990 to May 1992. He took office after Selim al-Hoss stepped down. Karami resigned in 1992 because of problems with the country's economy. He became Prime Minister again in October 2004 and served until April 2005.
Early Life and Family
Omar Abdul Hamid Karami was born in 1934 in An Nouri, a town near Tripoli in northern Lebanon. His family followed the Sunni Muslim faith.
His father, Abdul Hamid Karami, was also a former prime minister and a hero of Lebanon's independence. Omar Karami's brother, Rashid Karami, was also a very important Lebanese statesman. Rashid served as prime minister eight times before he passed away in 1987.
Omar Karami studied law and earned his degree from Cairo University in 1956.
Political Career Highlights
After finishing his studies, Omar Karami worked as both a lawyer and a businessman. In 1989, he was chosen to be the Minister of Education.
On December 24, 1990, he became Prime Minister for the first time. He stayed in this role until May 1992. He resigned because the value of the Lebanese currency dropped sharply against the US dollar. This economic problem led to public protests and unrest.
In 1991, after his brother's passing, Karami was elected to represent Tripoli in the Lebanese Parliament. In October 2004, he formed a new government after Rafik Hariri resigned as Prime Minister.
In February 2005, former Prime Minister Hariri passed away. This event caused many protests in Beirut. People in the opposition believed Syria was involved and demanded that Syria remove its soldiers and intelligence officers from Lebanon.
Despite a ban on public gatherings, protests grew. The opposition planned to hold a vote to show they no longer trusted the government. Facing increasing pressure, Karami announced on February 28, 2005, that his government would resign. However, it continued to serve in a temporary, or caretaker, role for a short time.
Just ten days after his resignation, President Émile Lahoud re-appointed Karami as prime minister. This happened after more protests in Beirut, this time supporting President Karami. On March 10, Karami was asked to form a new government. With support from most members of parliament, he asked all political groups to join a government of national unity.
However, Karami was unable to form a new government. On April 13, he resigned again. Najib Mikati then took over as Prime Minister. This second resignation added to the confusion in Lebanon after Hariri's death. There was no government to organize the elections that were supposed to happen in May. Omar Karami did not run for office in the 2005 general elections.
Personal Life
Omar Karami was the father of Faisal Karami.
Death
Omar Karami passed away on January 1, 2015, at the age of 80. He had been ill for a long time.
See also
In Spanish: Omar Karami para niños
