Hijab, who is backed by Jordan and Gulf states, is likely to be chosen before or during a gathering in mid-December of the Friends of Syria, according to coalition insiders. The grouping of dozens of nations had pledged mostly non-military backing for the revolt but is worried by the influence of Islamists in the opposition.
A popular uprising erupted in March 2011 against Assad's autocratic rule in which 40,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee the country Coalition member Louay Safi said the prime minister would be the point man for the coalition with the international community and act as the head of an alternate Cabinet ready to fill the political and security void if Assad falls from power. Members of the new government cannot be members of the coalition, which numbers 60.