Berri: 'No Country Nor Electricity' by April if Govt. Not Formed
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has warned that “if the government is not formed by April at the latest, there will remain neither a country nor electricity.”
Berri voiced the remarks in a February 17 meeting with caretaker Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar according to a report published Tuesday by al-Akhbar newspaper.
The daily said Ghajar met with Berri to discuss the issue of purchasing fuel for Electricite du Liban, the state-run electricity company.
“The visit’s objective was to ask the parliament speaker to agree to passing a law that allows granting EDL an LBP 1,500 billion loan to enable it to continue purchasing fuel to operate the power generation plants,” al-Akhbar added.
“Berri was clear and direct in rejecting the request, noting that LBP 1,500 billion cannot be approved while the country is in a state of bankruptcy and the government is yet to resolve the issue of rationalizing the subsidization” of essential goods, the daily said.
“He referred Ghajar to the president of the republic, noting that the key to the solution is the formation of the government,” al-Akhbar added.
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