Electricity Draft Law Tests Cabinet Unity
A controversial electricity draft law will be on the cabinet’s agenda next week after the government once again failed to agree on how the allocation of $1.2 billion to raise electricity production by 700 megawatts would be made.
The dispute over the draft law has led to divisions in the ranks of the government, after ministers representing Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun threatened to resign if the cabinet failed to approve the proposal.
However, ministerial sources told As Safir daily that the cabinet session on Thursday was an important step forward in approving the draft law.
The atmosphere during the meeting was calm compared to the last session that witnessed intense discussions between Aoun’s son-in-law Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and ministers loyal to PM Najib Miqati and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat.
During Thursday’s “calm” session, it was agreed to hold a ministerial meeting at the Grand Serail on Monday to hear a briefing by Bassil on the details of the electricity project.
The meeting will be followed by a cabinet session that would be held at President Michel Suleiman’s summer residence in Beiteddine on Tuesday.
Despite the optimism expressed by the ministerial sources, al-Liwaa newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that the cabinet session has witnessed a heated exchange of words among several ministers.
But the sources said that the government is expected to approve the draft law next Tuesday and refer it to parliament for ratification on Wednesday.
On Friday, Bassil held a press conference to stress the importance of the project and warn that any attempt to block it would have dire consequences on financial, economic and living conditions.
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