Bassil Warns Cabinet over Attempts to Block Electricity Bill, Slams Opposition’s Stance
Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil warned on Thursday if an electricity bill wasn’t approved by parliament then the cabinet will fall popularly and morally.
“We’re either an actual majority that seeks providing people with their vital needs (or we’re not), but we will not accept becoming false witnesses, therefore we won’t agree on hitting the Lebanese peoples’ interests,” Bassil told As Safir newspaper.
The Parliament witnessed a heated debate on Wednesday over the draft law that would allow the Energy Ministry to raise a $1.2 billion fund to build power plants.
He stressed that any negligence on behalf of the cabinet “will not be acceptable.”
The minister added that the issue isn’t only about the Energy Ministry, but is linked to the survival of the government or its failure.
Bassil described the opposition’s behavior in the parliamentary session as a vengeful act that targets the Lebanese people including the supporters of the March 14 forces.
The newspaper quoted him as saying: “What they did reflects what they stored of childish, hatred and vengeful acts.”
Bassil slammed the opposition stance over the electricity bill. He wondered “what opposition is it that disrupts an electricity project that they have already agreed on its details in the ministerial statement of ex-PM Saad Hariri’s cabinet?”
Meanwhile, sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that the Minister was absent from a meeting headed by PM Najib Miqati Wednesday night.
The daily remarked that the meeting was held away from the media spotlight in an attempt to discuss the electricity crisis with a number of experts.
Bassil had proposed a project for the electricity crisis to construct 700 MW power plants.
However, lawmakers who are opposing the proposal argue that it would burden the treasury.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/12522 |