Cabinet OKs Elections Funds, Postpones Discussion of Electricity Plan

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved earmarking around USD 15.5 million for the organization of the upcoming parliamentary elections, as it postponed the discussion of the long-awaited electricity plan.

The discussion of the plan was postponed after some ministers demanded that they be provided with Arabic-language copies of the plan instead of the English-language copies they were handed.

Energy Minister Walid Fayyad meanwhile explained his plan to the ministers according to MTV.

The TV network added that the ministers of Hizbullah and Amal expressed their rejection of any electricity tariff hike prior to increasing supply hours.

At the beginning of the session, President Michel Aoun stressed the need to set up electoral megacenters in the parliamentary polls to “enable citizens to practice their electoral right without having to move to their remote towns amid the difficult economic circumstances.”

He also called for “activating the work of ministries, especially the services-related ministries that have direct contact with citizens.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati for his part asked Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi to prepare a study about Aoun’s call for setting up megacenters in order to discuss it in the next Cabinet session.

As for the 2022 state budget, Miqati said the draft was referred to parliament after it was extensively scrutinized throughout eight sessions.

“Every comma and every period were discussed,” Miqati emphasized.

“It is the best possible budget at the moment in order to secure the general financial regularity of the state, and we’re governed by numbers and facts that cannot be disregarded,” he added.

Apparently referring to the latest controversy over the budget and the military appointments, Miqati stated: “The country is facing several challenges and the government’s role is to achieve the rescue objectives for which it was formed.”

“This essential mission remains more important than futile debate. The Lebanese people are waiting for the government to make reforms and provide services and they reject any disputes that might arise,” the premier went on to say.