Leabanese anti-Syrian politician Antoine Ghanem and six other people have been killed in a car bombing in the eastern part of Beirut today.
Lebanese firemen extinguish the fire from a car after an explosion in eastern Beirut.
Mr Ghanem was a member of parliament for Christian Phalange party.
At least 19 other people were wounded by the bomb in the busy commercial and residential area of Sin el-Fil.
Television footage showed several cars on fire and bodies being carried away from the scene.
Mr Ghanem (64), was a member of the anti-Syrian governing coalition which has been locked in a power struggle since November with factions backed by Damascus.
The explosion took place before Lebanon's parliament is supposed to convene to elect a new president next week. Lebanon has been going through its worst political crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Mr Ghanem's death reduced the coalition to just 68 seats in the 128-seat parliament, which is due to convene on September 25th to elect a successor to pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud.
Tension has been high in Beirut, where the US-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is locked in a feud with the opposition led by Shia Hizbollah, backed by Iran and Syria.
Beirut has been hit by a series of bomb attacks in the past 2-1/2 years, many of them aimed at anti-Syrian politicians. Prior to today's attack, seven anti-Syrian political figures had been killed.
In June this year, anti-Syrian lawmaker Walid Eido and nine other people died in a car bomb attack. In February 2005, former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri was killed along with 22 other people in a massive car bomb attack.
Hariri's family says Syria was behind the killing of the former prime minister and later attacks, but Damascus denies this.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern condemned Mr Ghanem's assassination.
"Despite today's atrocity, there is an opportunity for a resolution of Lebanon's political crisis when Parliament meets next week to elect a new President," he said. "All parties, including Lebanon's close neighbours, must now meet their responsibilities and ensure that this opportunity is not lost."