Aoun-Jumblat Power Struggle Paralyzes Government
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Premier Najib Miqati’s cabinet was in tatters on Thursday after differences between Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on a controversial electricity bill spiraled out of control.
There was little hope that the cabinet would endorse the electricity plan on Sept. 7. On Wednesday, the government again failed to reach an agreement on the bill.
The disagreement between Aoun and Jumblat revolves around the draft law that was proposed by the FPM chief to grant his son-in-law Energy Minister Jebran Bassil $1.2 billion to build power plants to generate 700 megawatts of electricity.
Cabinet ministers loyal to Jumblat have suggested the formation of a committee which, along with Bassil, would oversee the allocation of the funds. But Aoun’s ministers strongly opposed it.
In remarks published Thursday, PSP officials accused the FPM of escalation, while Aoun loyalists said that Jumblat was hindering the endorsement of the draft law for political reasons.
The cabinet is now in a deadlock particularly that Aoun has threatened to withdraw his ministers if the government doesn’t approve the draft law.
The counter accusations are also a sign that the differences between the two leaders went beyond the details of the allocation of the funds and turned into a power struggle that could paralyze the government for months or even lead to its collapse.
25 August 2011, 09:01
06
This is a fabricated setup so we won't have a hezb functioning government. This way nothing will happen from Lebanon's end for the STL. And Hezb will do whatever they want. Too bad for us. Justice will prevail! You puppets will be replaced and punished.
25 August 2011, 09:58
04
Agreed joe,
This is just a theatrical to avoid dealing with the main issue this government was formed for, the STL. Having a collapsed government suits them because an interim government is not responsible of taking major decisions relating to the STL.
If government resigns: Aoun's family and friends look good because "they stood by their principles of not accepting 'the people's' deprivation of electricity and ultimately resigned because of such blatant 'disrespect for the people's needs' "
Hizbie's look good because it would appear that they had nothing to do with this fiasco while reaching the ultimate end of not dealing with the STL.
And mr Mikati will look good because it would make him appear as though he had the best intentions in mind and wants to deal with STL but couldnt.
A team that tries so hard to avoid dealing with the STL cannot be entirely innocent can it? It just sounds too irrational.
25 August 2011, 10:34
06
Not sure you guys are right, at this stage there is little difference between a caretaker government or an active one vis-avis STL.
GMA usually puts himself in a corner-like with this electricity issue-when Bashar asks him to. Plus there has been too many incidents lately: Antelias, Lassa 1 and Lassa 2, finul attack in Saida, etc... HA is getting more and more obnoxious: I hope they are not preparing us for a war where their existance would be justified.
The main issue here is the oil and gas, not the TSL. Hopefully the South will not be invaded by Israel once again: Now they have an economical reason for doing it, pumping billions of $ of gas would justify them puting on a "security cordon" north of their border: Bashar would gift this to the US and Israel against staying in power and HA will look great as a battered resistance movement, its favorite role. The losers once again will be the Lebanese: No gas for us and bye-bye South Lebanon..
25 August 2011, 12:09
04
What's so Wrong with asking for a Committee to Oversee Spending of $$$, or is it that Mr. CLOUN & his Mr. IMBECILE son-in-law don't want to share the LOOT with the Committee? Enough with your THREATS Mr. TRAITOR Cloun. Do us all a big Favor and Resign and Move to Iran along with all your CREEPY Ministers (cause Syria no longer for U soon). Oh, and by the way, please don't forget to take all your Aouniehs "Moutons de Panurge" and Your "Hizbustan Buddies" with you, they will be a Burden on all of us here.
25 August 2011, 12:42
03
Walid bayk knows how many millions the "son-in-law" has already "collected"...and he wants to avoid more damages...
The rule is "what's in it for me?" ...
..Who cares about the people?
25 August 2011, 15:19
40
I say let's ship the 200,000 druze with Jewblatt first to Hooran where they came from .
25 August 2011, 15:42
04
Jumblatt's not gona give Aoun control of 1.2b$ without getting something out of it.... Niether will Berri, so we can assume Jumblatt's got the upper hand on this issue and when the bill goes through we can be sure that everybody got their share.
25 August 2011, 15:45
02
Jumblatt's not gona give Aoun control of 1.2b$ without getting something out of it.... Niether will Berri, so we can assume Jumblatt's got the upper hand on this issue and when the bill goes through we can be sure that everybody got their share.
25 August 2011, 15:53
31
hahaha very funny.... and how do u expect to ship out the druze?? the same way march 14 calls for hezbollah to give up their arms? remember druze haters die in lebanon. we control the mountain we control the political alliances, only hezbollah is stronger on the ground and they couldnt ship us out,,, so pretend to love us just so u can keep ur presence.
25 August 2011, 16:12
04
it is not a local struggle between jumblat and aoun, its regional, already the the druze in syria are shifting away from the regime,thats why wahab went to houran to stop the shifting with no success.
now the struggle is about the christian syrians and their support for the alawis......its not only the AAA batteries of bassil's electricity , its about the naturilazation of palestinians and christian syrians after bashar...that's how the war started in lebanon in 1975: the christians and palestinians.. now it's taking a de facto way......BUT BILAD EL ARZ WILL PREVAIL NO DOUBT ABOUT IT
25 August 2011, 18:23
02
Hold your ground Jumblatt. Do not allow them to steal the money. Tell Nasrallah the time has come for the Shia to pay their own way.
25 August 2011, 20:31
00
that money was ordered by assad to be paid to the russians and chinese so they keep blocking nato from attacking assad . Open your eyes and ears wider so you can see and hear the truth. It's not about electricity at all. It's all about assad now .if he falls aoun and his followers will fall too.jumblat is a genious .do not underestimate him . Bala electricity bala ballout. Why don't they arm the army first if they really cared?
25 August 2011, 20:35
00
that money was ordered by assad to be paid to the russians and chinese so they keep blocking nato from attacking assad . Open your eyes and ears wider so you can see and hear the truth. It's not about electricity at all. It's all about assad now .if he falls aoun and his followers will fall too.jumblat is a genious .do not underestimate him . Bala electricity bala ballout. Why don't they arm the army first if they really cared?
25 August 2011, 20:51
00
assad's money is frozen he can not touch his money. he wants to pay the russians and the chinese to bakc him up and keep holding the nato from attacking him. the 1.2 billion was ordered by him. bala electricity bala ballout
. there are far more important things than the electricity. like arming the army first. this game is too easy to discover. aoun will never quit the gov because he knows well its over. he is on his last breath. if the russians and chinese dont get paid . they will give the nato carte blanche and bye bye assad. thats the most important thing right now not the electricity. aoun please rouh khayyit beghayr msally . Jumblat is a genius and he is on to your games.
