Opposition Slams ‘Militia Behavior’ of Zahrani Plant Shutdown

March 14 general-secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid described the shutdown of the Zahrani power plant as a “militia act” that should be confronted.

“We are facing a behavior of a militia that targets all sectors and lately the Zahrani power plant,” Soaid told An Nahar daily published Sunday.

“If the Malaysian company that operates the plant has a manager who represents it, its workers are from Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement,” the opposition official said.

His comment came amid reports that the shutdown was aimed at avenging the payment of Lebanon’s share to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that is set to try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s suspected assassins.

The STL has indicted four members of Hizbullah which is allied with Amal.

An Nahar said the protest wouldn’t have come “without a major political cover.”

But Electricite du Liban said the shutdown came on Friday in protest at the transportation of a major MVA power transformer in the plant from Tyre to Sidon.

“Would Sidon and consequently all of Lebanon be punished for the transportation of a transformer from Zahrani to the city?” Soaid wondered.

He dubbed this behavior as “sectarian,” saying it puts the South in confrontation with Sidon which was and still is the capital of southern Lebanon.

The Zahrani is the second-largest power plant in the country after Zouk Mikhael.