FPM Says March 14 Suffering from ‘Political Schizophrenia’ Over Electricity 'Farce'

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil accused the March 14-led opposition of suffering from “political schizophrenia” for criticizing an electricity draft law that allegedly lacks details about the implementation phases of the $1.2 billion project.

The electricity "farce" should end at the meeting of joint parliamentary committees on Monday either through consensus or voting, Bassil, who is a Free Patriotic Movement official, told As Safir daily.

The committees failed last week to approve the draft law after a debate between pro and anti-government MPs prevented a quorum.

“All the answers are in their hands,” Bassil said about March 14 lawmakers’ criticism that the bill lacks “controls” which they say were part of the original draft law that was approved by the cabinet earlier in the month following weeks of bickering.

The opposition is also seeking answers as to why the bill lacks information on the pledge to seek loans from Arab and international donors to fund the $1.2 billion project that was proposed by Bassil to generate 700 Megawatts of electricity.

“The era of discussion ended after more than a year and a half of give-and-take and more than 20 years of power cuts,” the energy minister told As Safir.

“The majority has made its decision and agreed on the project to salvage electricity,” he said, adding that it was now the turn of the “minority to approve the plan as it is or reject it.”

“If it approves it, then it would become a partner in this accomplishment and if it rejects it, then it would bear the repercussions of this stance,” Bassil added.

Free Patriotic Movement sources hoped that the discussion on the bill would end during Monday’s session. But they expressed regret at the possibility of the opposition’s attempt to waste time to send a message to the Lebanese that it was capable of introducing changes to the bill.

March 14 is asking for explanations and not amendments, the sources said, adding that it isn’t necessary to put the explanations in the draft law.

Bassil has the answers to all the March 14 MPs’ questions but the long statements made by them prevented the minister from explaining his point of view during last week’s meeting, the sources added.