Last-Ditch Talks Ahead of Crucial Cabinet Session

Lebanese officials were on Tuesday making last-minutes talks to clinch a deal on the electricity project, 24 hours before a government session scheduled to discuss the plan.

The cabinet has so far failed to approve the project proposed by Free Patriotic Movement official Energy Minister Jebran Bassil. The draft law calls for allocating $1.2 billion to Bassil to generate 700 Megawatts of electricity.

The minister warned of the potential for government paralysis if his plan is approved with amendments. He boycotted a ministerial meeting held at the Grand Serail on Monday to discuss the project.

Several agreements were reached during the meeting including funding the first stage of the project from the state treasury and later resorting to Arab funds to cover the remaining expenses.

Other decisions include the amendment of law 462 that regulates the electricity sector, the formation of the regulatory authority and tasking the tenders department to oversee the subcontracting process.

Ministerial sources told al-Liwaa daily that the cabinet could either adopt the plan or postpone its discussion for a week. However, they ruled out the possibility of resorting to voting.

An Nahar daily said that FPM ministers could withdraw from the session if they see themselves a minority during any voting process.

The electricity project was placed at the top of the government’s 133-item agenda to meet the request of the FPM, which last week stressed that its ministers will not approve any other plan if the power project wasn’t discussed first.