The country's foreign ministry said in a statement that Nabih Ismail had been declared persona non grata.

BBC: Syria unrest: Second day of fierce Damascus clashes

Already, senior figures such as Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament, have said they would like Mr Hariri to lead the government.

ECONOMIST: Lebanon

And then you have someone like Nabih Bulos who plays with Daniel Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra but originally comes from Amman in Jordan.

CNN: Musicians play for peace to mark WWII anniversary

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Beri(ph) today told CNN that Hezbollah has agreed to allow the Lebanese government to lead negotiations over a prisoner exchange for Arabs in Israeli jails.

NPR: Israel Opens Door for International Peace Force

The other elements in the opposition coalition come from allies such as the mainstream Shia Amal movement, headed by parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, and the Free Patriotic Movement of the Christian leader Michel Aoun, once a fierce opponent of Syria but now reconciled with Damascus and likely to do well in many Christian areas.

BBC: How far will US support for Lebanon go?