Bassil Warns Again: Either Electricity or No Government
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil has warned the government that it should assume its responsibilities in resolving the electricity crisis gripping Lebanon or else it would be doomed.
“There are obstacles from several sides,” Bassil told As Safir daily published Monday, reiterating claims that certain parties were hindering the implementation of power projects.
“The government should know that it has two choices – it should either immediately assume its responsibilities through its parliamentary and ministerial majority and take the appropriate steps to push the frozen projects forward or become threatened because the electricity issue doesn’t burn the minister alone but the entire cabinet,” he said.
“There should either be electricity or no government,” the minister reiterated. During several months of bickering on his electricity plan in the summer, Bassil warned the cabinet on several occasions to adopt his proposal or face the fate of collapse.
Parliament endorsed in September the electricity draft law, adopting with a few amendments Bassil’s $1.2 billion electricity proposal approved by the government.
But Bassil told As Safir that parliament’s approval of the draft law is only “part of the whole.” It should be followed by efforts to bring ships that generate power and to rehabilitate plants and electricity lines, he said.
He also accused some parties of politicizing the electricity crisis by claiming that the Free Patriotic Movement, of which Bassil is a member, was making an unequal electricity rationing.
This campaign “makes us stronger and not the other way around,” he told the newspaper.
Protests were held in several areas of Lebanon lately as angry residents blocked roads in Aley, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Nabatiyeh and Sidon over the weekend.
But Bassil warned that “the Lebanese should know the electricity crisis will become much worse and there will be more rationing.”
He challenged the other members of the cabinet on Sunday by telling visitors at his home in Batroun “let them sack me if the can.”
“Those who want to raise my photo (during protests), we would raise in return hundreds of pictures of people who have brought the electricity to a dire situation,” he said.
over 12 years
Given the choice of either a loved govenrment or Electricity I see give us electricity since we have never had a government loved by all todate!
over 12 years
whatever isreal, syria and Aoun (1989) did not destroy in Lebanon is now being destroyed by this evil-genius under the direction of
his father-in-law.
Enough already with these useless ministers in this government !!!
Time to clean house...
over 12 years
i think the radical solution is the only way left.
over 12 years
pointing to the stark emptiness withing and unqualified to change a light bulb.
over 12 years
“the Lebanese should know the electricity crisis will become much worse and there will be more rationing.”
Congratulations on your wonderful work...
over 12 years
mowaten you are half right, energy minister Gebran Bassil doesn't have a hateful bone in his body...
over 12 years
Hey Naharnet couldn't you guys find anyone other than Picasso to draw the Captcha words? I'm getting 7awlit el 7isn every time I try to decipher the damn thing, 8^$
over 12 years
Can you believe that this twit has become one of the wealthiest people in Lebanon? What is his talent, skill or ability other than sitting in his pappy in law's lap and stealing money under the Hezbollah umbrella?
Only in Lebanon could someone like this threaten to bring down a government and it make the newspapers as a notable statement.
over 12 years
Comments on Naharnet are such crap. Not a single substantive comment in relation to the article's substance. Instead, all we are treated to is constant ad hominem. Rubbish!
over 12 years
Wether he has been obstructed or not, the electricity matter is not new, and we all know that a lot of people from towns and villages from the south and north arent paying bills and still receive electricty 24/24 because of the political cover they have. People paying do not receive anything. This is really what must be fixed. You must cut generators from people that arent paying and thats all. Some will say people in the south cant afford to pay or in the north, well let their leaders that have covered this region in order to be Zou3ama pay for them till we get power plants that can give us electricty for cheaper.
I blame Bassil for 2 things , His project is too heavy on the treasury for what it is, it will pollute more and more, while other countries have started with the EOLIENNES, we are still with mazout and shit. And the worst part is that Egypt has put up a project for Eolienne which is cheaper than our plan , it is really not logical
over 12 years
Zaid's tu quoque.
over 12 years
Bassil must have come to the cabinet with a better plan, less costs, and a better set of renewable energy rather then still run with mazout. He thinks he is smarter than others while he is like the others, corrupted and cannot think but of the fastest solutions in hand to make money and to please masses very quickly. then after when the prices of oil go up , we come back to the same problems as before.
And how immature is that? " those who raise my picture i will raise hundreds of pictures of those who brought the situation to this as well? " my god, do we have a baby or a minister ? Go on TV and say the names rather than whining and always hide names.
over 12 years
Give Bassil a break, do you expect him to be in two places at the same time. He can't be perpetually camping for the next elections by posing for the cameras and giving press conferences about his nonexistent achievements AND be at the ministry doing the real work we are actually paying him to do.
over 12 years
that irresponsible minsiter had the guts to say that it would be good to decrease the nb of hours of electricity in some regions to give it to others instead of saying what he could do to increase electricity of the regions in deficit to make it even!
that are the words of a responsible minister in 2012!
over 12 years
Well ya wazir, tell us what's your solution? oh! wait ... you only gave us one solution to one of the major problems in our country, could it be that no one else thought of it before? if it could be done it would have been at least proposed! As "Skyfall" has mentioned there are far more efficient ways to produce the same energy output that your plan will give us for much lower costs. We have tons of garbage that are not utilized (not just talking about our politicians here, but physical garbage) that can be used to produce enough energy to light up all of Lebanon, including the burnt out fuse in your head (not sure about your father in law though!). I know that an Italian company came and proposed this but was rejected ... hmmm, I wonder if it was because they offered B.O.T. concept and your family did not get a cut! I hope you enjoy all the buildings you are now own in Rabieh ... what a crook!
over 12 years
I like the picture they use for Bassil! hahahhaha no need to comment!
over 12 years
hahhaahah,,,he looks like a 5th grade school kid who lost his snacks while playing on the playground.somehow he looks like an idiot.....
over 12 years
This guy can be handsome couldn't he been a retarded.
Free Lebanese Warn Again: Either way we are doomed with you, pappy in law and your allies.