Report: Heated Debate Expected at Cabinet over Electricity File

A cabinet meeting scheduled on Wednesday to tackle 67 items on its agenda including the controversial file of Lebanon's electricity, is expected to witness heated debate over leasing power generating vessels to supply for the shortage and end power cuts in the country, al-Akhbar daily reported on Wednesday.

The Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement are “expected to engage in a dispute in light of the LF's insistence to abort the electricity plan initially suggested by FPM Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil,” it added.

Unnamed Lebanese Forces sources asserted to al-Joumhouria newspaper that they insist on their position.

The LF has reservations as for the bidding process in the electricity file. The party says the bidding violates the legal norms and comes contrary to a government decision.

“Our position is still the same,” LF sources told the daily, they added “the LF do not target anyone. Our approach is legal and not political, and we are cooperating with everyone for the benefit of the (presidential) term and the government. Our basic demand is absolute transparency and the elimination of any confusion in public opinion.

“Hence, the demand to open the book of conditions in order to expand the choices, and return it back to the government or the Tender Department of the Central Inspection Bureau conditionally their remarks are taken into account,” they said.

The LF has recently proposed that private companies build and operate power plants in a partnership with the state in the electricity sector, describing it as a necessary reform that should be included in the state budget.

According to the LF, such a step would provide a 24/24 power supply across the country and would spare the treasury around $2 billion in yearly losses.