Electricity Crisis Threatens to Create Stormy Cabinet Session
The cabinet is scheduled to discuss the electricity crisis on Tuesday as ministers are expected to clash after growing discontent with severe rationing and accusations by Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and the Free Patriotic Movement that certain parties were putting sticks in the wheels of his electricity plan.
Snapping back at his critics that he is moody, Bassil told As Safir: “Moodiness is a trademark for others given that we are known for holding onto our stances and not changing them in accordance with the circumstances.”
The minister was referring to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat without naming him.
Ministerial sources expected discussions on the electricity crisis to witness clashes among the ministers during the session that is scheduled to be held at Baabda palace.
They told An Nahar newspaper that the energy ministry had introduced the necessary amendments to Law 462 that regulates the electricity sector but was surprised after four months of hard work to receive major remarks which Bassil asked that be sent in a written form for discussion.
The sources said a committee tasked with studying the law was scheduled to hold a meeting on Monday, but it failed to hold talks after Bassil rejected to send it the amendments that he should have introduced in cooperation with Premier Najib Miqati.
But An Nahar said the energy minister denied that the committee was scheduled to meet and stressed there were no amendments that needed to be introduced to the law after the remarks which the daily said were made by Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas.
FPM sources hoped that no one would put obstacles to the $1.2 billion electricity plan that was approved by the cabinet in September.
Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammed Fneish, who is a Hizbullah member allied with the FPM, also accused certain political parties of obstructing the implementation of the plan.
Those parties “are not keen on electricity,” he said, adding that they only “seek to pour oil on fire to stir political tension.”
But President Michel Suleiman held talks with Bassil on the eve of the session to prevent the crisis from spiraling out of control. Al-Liwaa daily said they discussed the report that the minister will refer to the cabinet on his electricity plans.
Informed sources did not rule out discussions on an Iranian offer to sell Lebanon electricity at competitive prices. They told the newspaper that Bassil could stir the issue after Iranian Ambassador Ghazanfar Roknabadi informed Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour that Tehran is ready to provide Beirut with 200 to 400 Megawatts of power.
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