Fears that Illegal Construction Boom was Politically Motivated

Several lawmakers have prepared a detailed report on illegal constructions on state property that stresses the wave intensified a month ago, hinting that it was backed by some political parties, An Nahar daily said Tuesday.

The report according to An Nahar also stresses that illegal construction was “intentional” and some parties had “incited” violators into more “disobedience.”

The newspaper said intense contacts were made in the past two days to stop the repercussions of an unauthorized structure which Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal supporters had built on land belonging to the Sunni endowment in the Ouzai neighborhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Among the contacts was an alleged heated telephone conversation between Berri and Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani over the issue.

LBC TV network quoted sources as saying that Qabbani told Berri the illegal construction on state property or land belonging to the Sunni endowment was not acceptable and should be put an end to it “immediately.”

The speaker snapped back as saying that he was aware of the issue but “a solution to all violations should be found” and later said during the conversion that “there was no state.”

“You represent the Lebanese people and are telling me there is no state?” Qabbani asked. “When will we get rid of the thugs who are infringing on state property?”

Berri then hang up the phone on him, the sources added.

The report about the heated conversation came as residents confronted Internal Security Forces patrols seeking to end violations in the areas of al-Bas, Tyre and Ouzai on Monday.

At dawn Tuesday, more than 30 people prevented a patrol from approaching an area where there are illegal buildings in al-Raml el-Ali.

An Nahar said that Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud will on Monday inspect security units in the south. He announced last week that authorities were determined to stop building violations.

Hizbullah and Amal have announced that they did not support violators, and they urged security authorities to act.