Mustaqbal to Debrief Energy Minister, Says Waste Crisis Threatens 'Country Unity, Social Security'

W460

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc announced Tuesday that it intends to debrief the energy minister in parliament over the latest power outages, as it warned that the unprecedented garbage crisis has started to threaten the country's “unity” and “social and economic security.”

“The bloc considers that the solution to the disastrous garbage crisis must fall on the shoulders of the entire country and must be accompanied with a clear, instant, decisive and firm stance by the government,” said Mustaqbal in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

It noted that the government has so far failed to find “the efficient, correct and scientific solutions.”

Accordingly, the bloc warned that the waste management crisis “has started to threaten the country, its unity and order, and the social and economic security.”

The crisis erupted after the closure of the Naameh landfill on July 17. It has seen streets overflowing with waste and the air filled with the smell of rotting garbage for around two weeks.

Experts have urged the government to devise a comprehensive waste management solution that would include more recycling and composting to reduce the amount of trash going into landfills.

But so far there has been no evidence of such a plan, and there is already opposition to temporary solutions proposed by the government.

Trash collection resumed last week in Beirut and Mount Lebanon after a ministerial committee managed to agree on a preliminary solution involving a “balanced distribution” of Beirut and Mount Lebanon's garbage to new locations and financial “incentives” to municipalities.

Separately, Mustaqbal noted that the garbage crisis was accompanied by “the disaster of power outages” and “the failure of the electricity sector which has reached the extent of a blatant scandal.”

“This is the result of the faulty policies of the energy and water ministers who assumed the post over the past seven years, who all belong to the Free Patriotic Movement, as well as the hesitation and inaction of the Electricite Du Liban institution, which has failed to take the necessary and needed steps to address the crisis,” the bloc said.

It revealed that it intends to file a request to debrief Energy and Water Minister Arthur Nazarian before the parliament.

Mustaqbal also said that it will seek accountability for “the ministers who assumed the post in the past seven years,” accusing them of “making a lot of flimsy promises without justifying all the spending they made.”

Proposing solutions, the bloc suggested “the implementation of the law that regulates the electricity sector and the appointment of a chairman and members for the regulatory committee, whose core mission is to oversee an effective role for the private sector.”

The country has been reeling from lengthy power outages since several days. EDL has blamed the problem on the disconnection of two power generation units at the vital Zahrani plant and the current heat wave that is engulfing the country.

Turning to the political crisis, Mustaqbal reiterated its call for the election of a new president, urging the FPM and Hizbullah to end their “obstruction.”

As for Wednesday's cabinet session, the bloc stressed that the government should tackle the growing “social and economic problems,” warning that “the creation of constitutional precedents would establish new norms that might have detrimental repercussions in the future.”

The garbage crisis came amid a gridlock in the cabinet over its decision-making mechanism.

The Free Patriotic Movement has stressed that its ministers should have the right to coordinate with Prime Minister Tammam Salam on setting the cabinet's agenda because they consider themselves as representatives of the president in his absence.

Y.R.

Comments 5
Thumb Mystic 04 August 2015, 21:36

The corrupted crooks are having their fun. Celebrating the trash they brought upon our streets in Beirut.

Missing humble 05 August 2015, 01:45

Did anyone see where Mastica disappeared to avoid answering good questions?????

Missing thatisit 05 August 2015, 01:37

Lebanon has some really really sick people

Missing humble 05 August 2015, 01:46

Did anyone see where Mastica disappeared to avoid answering good questions?????

Thumb liberty 05 August 2015, 07:42

حين يُسأل نظاريان عما إذا كانت الحلول قد انعدمت كليا، يجيب: أعطوني مليار دولار وخذوا الكهرباء،
Basil took 1.5 billions and the Lebanese got less electricity. Now another FPM hungry minister wants another billion.