Bassil Stresses All Sides Emerged Victorious in Cabinet’s Electricity Decision
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil said Thursday he agreed with Premier Najib Miqati that no party emerged as a victor or vanquished during a cabinet session that saw the approval of power-generating vessels and the construction of electricity plants.
The government averted a crisis during its session at Baabda Palace on Wednesday after it approved the leasing of the ships for a maximum of three years to produce 270 megawatts and the construction of 1,500-megawatt power plants.
Miqati and Bassil had been at loggerheads on how to solve the country’s lingering electricity crisis. The premier was opposing the minister’s proposal to lease the vessels and was instead suggesting the construction of plants.
But a last-minute deal between the two sides led to the approval of the two proposals with concessions made by the two sides.
Bassil told As Safir daily on Friday that his power-generating vessels’ proposal had emerged victorious given that “it is part of the whole.”
He said that Miqati also scored a victory in addition to the ministerial committee that was tasked with studying the leasing of the ships after the discussions at the cabinet stressed the need for the vessels, which do not contradict with the construction of plants as the premier has proposed.
“Some people triggered a delusional campaign that had no excuse,” Bassil said.
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