Suleiman, Abou Faour Rebuke Bassil in Heated Cabinet Session
President Michel Suleiman and Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour, who are among the centrist forces in the government, have chided Energy Minister Jebran Bassil for accusations made by the Free Patriotic Movement of corruption and embezzlement.
During a heated cabinet session held at Baabda palace on Tuesday, Bassil reiterated his claims that technical, financial and administrative obstacles were preventing the implementation of his project aimed at resolving the electricity crisis in the country and hinted that Suleiman was obstructing the appointment of a new board of directors for the state-run power company, Electricite du Liban.
But Suleiman reproached him, asking “Is it right for you to tour politicians and inquire them about candidates for these appointments?”
“Where is the respect for (state) institutions?” he asked Bassil, saying “if you propose the names of three candidates to each post, then the president would guarantee the organization of the work of institutions.”
Abou Faour, who before the cabinet session had vowed not to remain silent to accusations by FPM leader Michel Aoun of corruption during previous governments, told the energy minister that he has no right to speak about corruption and attack the government given that he might be involved in the red diesel scandal.
Aoun had also pointed fingers at Suleiman for remaining silent to the alleged embezzlement during previous governments headed by former Premiers Rafik Hariri and Fouad Saniora.
In remarks to An Nahar daily on Wednesday, Abou Faour said: “The cabinet is diverse and no one can impose his opinion on the others.”
“No one should accuse us of obstruction. Let each minister do his own work,” he stressed.
The minister also told the newspaper that he along with the other ministers representing Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat in the cabinet had approved Bassil’s $1.2 billion electricity project. “So why nothing hasn’t happened so far?”
Despite the heated arguments, the cabinet discussed among other things the leasing of power-generating boats to resolve severe rationing in the short term. A ministerial committee was tasked to study the process within a week.
The ministers also agreed to issue a tender to rehabilitate the Zouk power station after tasking the finance ministry and the Council for Development and Reconstruction with asking donors to guarantee the necessary funding.
Iran has offered to sell electricity to Lebanon at low prices.
“The project is a quick solution to the electricity crisis in Lebanon and part of it is based on supplying the electricity and the other is based on building power plants,” Iranian Ambassador Ghazanfar Roknabadi told An Nahar.
He reiterated that Lebanon is in need for 1,000 Megawatts of electricity and that Iran could build the power plants within a year to provide the country with 500 MW and then the other half within two years.
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