Electricity Crisis Likely to Worsen as Bassil Calls for More Rationing in Beirut
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The power crisis topped the discussions of cabinet ministers during a session held at Baabda palace on Monday as Energy Minister Jebran Bassil urged the Lebanese that are paying their electricity bills and suffering from severe rationing to resort to demonstrations.
Ministerial sources told An Nahar daily published Tuesday that the cabinet agreed to give priority to the electricity problem and urged Bassil to resolve the crisis and the rationing that has affected most regions except for Beirut.
Angry residents continued to block roads with burning tires. The latest incidents took place on the old Beirut airport and the Naameh-Damour roads on Monday night.
Bassil is insisting to make Beirut similar to other areas to ease the rationing. “There can’t be 21-hour electricity in Beirut and 11 in Sin el-Fil,” he said in remarks published Tuesday.
During a press conference he held before the cabinet session, Bassil urged “all those who pay their electricity bills and don’t get enough (power) and respect Electricite du Liban … to resort to the street to demand their rights.”
He reiterated that the sector was in dire need of investments.
Bassil blamed the government for procrastinating in the implementation of six major projects, among them the leasing of power-generating ships as a temporary measure to compensate for the low electricity supply.
He lamented that Lebanon is in need of 2,500 megawatts of electricity while the current production is only 1,500 MW.
But As Safir daily said even if the government decides to lease the ships, the process requires a six-month period, which means that Lebanon would continue to suffer from severe power cuts during the summer season.
In his remarks published Tuesday, Bassil thanked Speaker Nabih Berri for urging him to reveal the identity of those who were allegedly putting sticks in the wheels of his plans.
He said he took Berri’s advice and held a press conference to explain the reasons behind the electricity crisis.
But members of the March 14 opposition told al-Liwaa newspaper that the energy minister was trying to build his popularity ahead of the 2013 parliamentary elections.
He is “turning his rage towards the country’s capital that hosts most people and all institutions,” MP Mohammed Qabbani said.
Another March 14 lawmaker, Ammar Houri, told the daily that Beirut is the hub of the economy and tourism, stressing that Bassil can’t cut electricity from the capital.
24 January 2012, 09:42
11
just do your jobs like mature and responsible people, wether your 14 or 8, your ignorance has become unbearable as you have proven to the people that you cannot govern.
24 January 2012, 09:56
10
I don't get it. Is he in the government or outside? Minister of what , I don't get it!!!! Stop blaming the others and start working for a change
24 January 2012, 10:03
11
If all the money received by the government, and government run institutions really went into the right places... we wouldn't be in this continuous mess. When will the value system of the country rise to meet the expectations of the inhabitants? Shouldn't this be a top-down modeling? Then we could wait a long time, I fear.
24 January 2012, 10:11
14
Why don't we build power plants on our rivers and use the dams we have to generate electricity, instead of wasting time and money on idiotic political bickering!!!!!
24 January 2012, 10:41
20
This is change and reform at its best. They control the government along with their allies, yet they are asking people to take to the streets and demonstrate!!!! Demonstrate against who? Saniora? Harriri? Hoss? Bassil, the miracle minister, is a disgrace to himself and to the nation. He is embezzling money every way he can, and has amassed a fortune including a private jet.
24 January 2012, 10:47
13
Lebanese are fed with your lies and family business who put you in that office you Alcopone, the question is what happened to the electricity Lebanese enjoyed before you took office and became in charge? Aoun is war criminal who is responsible for the death of many Lebanese during his being in charge of Baabda, again history repeats itself, the same failure to run, my advise to resign and let the professional Lebanese do the job.
24 January 2012, 11:08
11
He is holding lebanon and its citizen as his hostage for his caprices,just like any other spoiled brat kid.pappy in law tells him what to say and do.isn't it obvious???
24 January 2012, 14:35
01
Bassil is consistent, at least give him that.
When he was outside the government he blamed the government and the people in charge of the energy portfolio.
When he became part of a minority government he blamed the majority in the government even though he was in charge of the energy portfolio and they did vote for his energy bill, but before it was implemented he was ordered by Bashar's and Hassan's to topple the government and orders is orders.
Now he's part of a majority government with 11 ministers belonging to his family owned block and he's been the man in charge of the energy portfolio for four years, still he's so out of his depth he's now blaming the popular base of his own allies.
I Bassil wasn't screwing Aoun's daighter he wouldn't even be allowed to plug a a toaster in a wall outlet.
24 January 2012, 14:43
01
Bassil is consistent, at least give him that.
When he was outside the government he blamed the government and the people in charge of the energy portfolio.
When he became part of a minority government he blamed the majority in the government even though he was in charge of the energy portfolio and they did vote for his energy bill, but before it was implemented he was ordered by Bashar's and Hassan's to topple the government and orders is orders.
Now he's part of a majority government with 11 ministers belonging to his family owned block and he's been the man in charge of the energy portfolio for four years, still he's so out of his depth he's now blaming the popular base of his own allies.
I Bassil wasn't screwing Aoun's daighter he wouldn't even be allowed to plug a a toaster in a wall outlet.
24 January 2012, 15:36
51
Any one who thinks that Lebanon's electricity crisis is the fault of Bassil is obviously either misinformed or purposely embarrassingly partisan. This problem is a result of 20 years of neglect and corruption (mostly under the martyr hariri's government.) no one can solve this problem overnight, to think so is unfair.
Bassil is not the richest man in lebanon as some trymto mislead. Have we all forgotten what he did with the telecom ministry? When everyone said that reducing rates would bankrupt the ministry (the main source of gov income), it did the opposite and no one gives him credit for the cheaper rates. However, he is not my favorite minister or member of the fpm. He is very arrogant, and comes of very childish with his silly comments. Ibrahim Kaanan is much better.
24 January 2012, 15:48
03
Bassil's achieved cheaper rates with crappier service at the telecom ministry I wonder why you forgot to mention that, mate. Our bills became larger as a result of having to make the same call numerous times. Only an idiot would agree that adding subscribers without adding lines was a good competent positive move and the child ado has confirmed that fact.
24 January 2012, 16:07
04
Why don't you fly on your new private jet and get advice from people who know what they are doing. Also tell the Shia to pay for what they use, and all they have taken for free.
24 January 2012, 16:09
03
Ado if you are really in Australia I wish you a happy Australia day, but you fail to mention that all Lebanese should pay PAY for their electricity I think that would be a fair and reasonable request
24 January 2012, 17:25
13
March 14 and March 8...You are all useless..2 faces of the same coin and mentality. Unfortunately people follow you like sheep and that's why Lebanon is doomed.
24 January 2012, 17:41
41
Aragon, I would never expect you to think anything else. "electricity it Lebanon was much better before (bassil) took over". What a fantastic incite you have...you must advise for the American republican party (GOP). Of course the current economy/ Lebanese electricity crisis, is the fault of Obama/bassil because they have been in charge for 3 years. They inherited this problem and they are the only ones that are realistically trying to solve the problem that is so intrenched that they are being attacked by all sides which have something to lose!
Who since the end of the war was not pro syrian except the LF, kataeb and fpm? Was it the mustaqbul party that has controlled all aspects of the government sice 1992?
Aragon... I honestly feel sorry for you if you really believe what you type.
24 January 2012, 17:58
02
....."He is very arrogant, and comes of very childish with his silly comments....
Ado..Your comment is self portrait of this idiot indicating that he is not mature to be in the post of a responsible minister :)
He should go back to his mum
24 January 2012, 18:31
03
Bassil is not a hobbit.Hobbits are cute.He,s much more than a gollum.
24 January 2012, 19:13
03
Ado ... the fpm is against Syria??? hahahahaha ... what a joke!
Yes, the Imbecile Bassil inherited a problem and the first thing he decided to do is make it worse! he decided with all his brain cells functioning to overburden the national debt with one of the most expensive solutions while there were other BOT options out there (I keep forgetting that you are against BOT, but I don't really care - it works) and in a country that is so in debt I don't think there is any other solution. Yet, our boy genius decides to reject them all mainly cause apparently he won't get a cut.
I call on the people that pay their bills to take to the streets against those who do not pay their bills yet get 24/7 electricity.
I feel sorry for you Ado if you believe what you type!
And leave the US problems to the US ppl ... we have enough of our own!
24 January 2012, 22:27
01
I think i understand whats happening, since the Zahrani power plant shutdown, there has been a standoff between the FPM and AMAL, Bassil knows who obstructed him, and he knows very well its allies from Hezb and Amal. This is why Berri was challenging him to say the names. It was a challenge . yet bassil of course , afraid of getting harmed, blamed the finance minister and mafias. But in the meantime he is asking for demonstrations from the people who dont get enough electricity and that pay their bills ( meaning specially christian neighboorhoods and others ) maybe this way he can push Berri and Hezb to implement some reforms int their regions if they dont want the governement to be toppled. Specially in this kind of situation where Syria is not with them no more.
24 January 2012, 22:29
01
It is interesting, it seems relations between FPM and AMAL /Hezbollah are deteriorating since the Syrian crisis. Everybody for themselves? or does Amal and Hezb know that without money to give to their people in the south they will be toppled as well? If Gebran is asking for demonstrations in order to pressure Berri and Hezb to help him rationize electricity and not send all of it to the people of the south that arent paying anything. Then i support him totally. But yet again, is this the truth?
27 January 2012, 16:51
00
What happened to the 1.2 billion dollars that was allocated to the energy sector last year? It's like it never existed. It's ridiculous that you can buy everything from a flat screen tv to a new ferrari in lebanon, but you can't have continuos electricity!!! It's time to stop letting politicians seperate the lebanese into different factions! This is how they stay in power! The lebanese should unite as they have in the past and stop letting these people brainwash them! It's no wonder that there are 16 million lebanese living outside of LEBANON!!!! I'M ONE OF THEM!!!!!
