Jumblat Rejects Any Blackmail ‘Even if it Destabilizes the Alliance’
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said on Wednesday that his ministers are expecting further explanations to elude any doubts they have on the electricity draft law.
The draft law proposed by MP Michel Aoun and backed by his son-in-law Energy Minister Jebran Bassil calls for earmarking $1.2 billion to the minister to build plants that would produce 700 Megawatts of electricity.
“It’s unacceptable to specify $1.2 billion to fund the first part of the electricity plan without an explicit mechanism,” Jumblat told As Safir newspaper.
He said that there are two options for the PSP ministers, either the cabinet agrees through consensus on the electricity draft law and on a clear plan to be adopted, or they hold onto their reservations.
Jumblat considered the Energy Minister didn’t present the necessary and convincing explanations on a lot of the administrative and technical questions regarding his proposal.
“We will not be threatened and blackmailed,” he stressed in an indirect response to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun who has warned that he will withdraw his ministers if the cabinet didn’t adopt the electricity draft law.
“We don’t care if we (PSP bloc) present minorities in the cabinet, and I don’t care if my stance will destabilize the existing political alliance,” Jumblat said.
The cabinet held a meeting on Wednesday at the Baabda palace to discuss the electricity plan after it was postponed during Tuesday's session.
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