Electricity to Parliament, Williams Slams ’’Israeli’’ Violations on Lebanon

Mariam Ali
 
Minutes passed, and all their bets flew with September's wind.

All their threats that electricity is to shorten government's life went in vain.

The recent debate over the electricity draft came out with a disappointing result to "March 14" minority: the project did neither fall nor the concerned minister was frustrated and the government proved its strength by voting unanimously on the electricity bill.

Thus, the majority scored an unprecedented achievement: Lebanese will enjoy 24 hours electricity over the seven days of the week at the end of the 2014.

Lebanon Passes into Light

The Lebanese government approved Wednesday an electricity bill after reaching an agreement over the funding of the project ending weeks of ministerial negotiations.

The project to boost electricity output by 700 megawatts was agreed to allocate the budgeted funds - $1.2 billion - in four installments parallel to the establishment of a regulatory ministerial authority to supervise the sector within three months.

The government endorsed the plan during a session held at the Baabda Palace and preceded by a closed-door meeting between President Michel Suleiman and Prime Najib Mikati.

"Lebanon won today, and any dispute or discussion is to reach one goal: to provide electricity to people," Mikati stressed.

PM told reporters that the government will pay the first installment for 2011 as had been agreed previously, but would reduce the second payment, in 2012, by an amount that would subsequently be paid in two installments in 2013 and 2014.

Mikati said the government also tasked him with contacting Arab, regional and international funds to secure funding for the project.

"The government also agreed on the appointment of a board of directors or Electricite du Liban within two months, and to draw tenders from contractors for the construction of the project in line with applicable laws," PM told reporters.

Mikati, Bassil: Lebanese Won

In an interview with "as-Safir" Lebanese daily Thursday, Mikati emphasized that "the government made a major achievement for the state and the citizens as it agreed on all the articles of the project."

"Everyone came out comfortable from the ministerial session, particularly that the council of ministers will oversee the implementation of all the aspects of the project," he clarified.

"As long as we introduced all the necessary constraints, I don't think that the MPs would have a big problem with the project," Mikati predicted.

Commenting on the project's track towards parliamentary endorsement, PM said: "The parliament is its own master. We will propose the project to the legislature and defend it in all its aspects."

"We don't mind if the parliament wants to add any logical information to any item," "as-Safir" quoted him.
 
For his part, Minister of Water and Energy Gibran Bassil noted that "the plan is a victory for Lebanon and stresses the opposition's ill-natured attempts is to undermine it."

In remarks to "as-Safir", Bassil viewed that "what happened doesn't mark a victory for the Free Patriotic Movement or any other team within the government, but it is a sign of victory for the government itself through respecting the ministerial statement and moving in compatibility with the slogan by all of us "We're all to work"."
 
"Now comes the role of the parliament to endorse the project. The consensus inside the government was necessary to guarantee a majority support in the parliament as the opposition is ferociously seeking to topple the plan," he confirmed.

"Wednesday's settlement brought re-consideration to parliamentary majority's cohesion," "al-Akhbar" Lebanese newspaper commented Thursday.

Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi considered in an interview with "al- Joumhouria" daily that "the issue of fragmentation of one billion and $ 200 million over 4 years is the cause behind the agreement because this method is very convenient for the treasury."

On another level, "al-Akhbar" newspaper reported that the Lebanese Ministry of Defense sent Wednesday its first letter to the military prosecution office, asking him to make the necessary legal action against the "Future" MP Khaled Daher, because of his statements in which he attacked on the Lebanese army and its leadership.
 
According to the paper, the ministry pointed out in its letter that this attack falls under acclaimed work i.e. not covered by parliamentary immunity.
 
Williams Slams "Israeli" Attacks

Meanwhile, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams condemned "Israeli" continuous attack on Lebanon, noting that "Lebanon is the only country around the world that its sovereignty is being violated on a daily basis."

Williams praised in an interview with "al-Joumhouria" newspaper Lebanon's commitment to Security Council resolution 1701.

"The end of combats since 2006 was effective; however, achieving a permanent ceasefire faces many obstacles such as al-Ghajar village issue and Shebaa farms," he added.

The UN diplomat uncovered that during his last visit to "Israel", former "Israeli" PM Ehud Olmert said that northern residents of "Israel" haven't faced any problem with Hizbullah although they fear its arms."

Williams expressed his concern from the attacks targeting UNIFIL, and the fact that no arrests have been made is alarming.
 
Stressing that "the Syrian unrest will not affect Lebanon because Lebanon is a democratic country," Williams acknowledged that "there are common backgrounds between the two countries."

In parallel, diplomats involved in the last Arab Ministerial Conference in Cairo informed "as-Safir" that Lebanon was not the only country that expressed its reservation for the issuance of a statement on the Syrian developments, but there are five other countries that expressed similar reservations."
 

Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org team