FPM Says Jumblat Seeking Shares from Technical Committee as it Reaches Point of Boycott

Ministers loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun have accused Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat’s representatives in the cabinet of turning the electricity crisis into a political struggle.

“Ninety percent of the plan has been discussed and only the political problem stirred by MP Walid Jumblat remains under discussion,” FPM sources said in remarks published in several Beirut dailies.

Jumblat’s ministers are insisting on the formation of a technical committee which, along with Energy Minister Jebran Bassil, would oversee the allocation of $1.2 billion funds to build power plants that would generate 700 megawatts of electricity. But Aoun’s ministers strongly oppose it, saying Bassil should have the sole authority of allocating the funds.

“Jumblat is seeking to have shares through his suggestion to form a committee for the project,” the FPM sources said.

They warned that the cabinet is entering a stage of paralysis, unveiling that the FPM ministers are seriously mulling to withdraw from the government.

The movement’s leadership sources have stressed that the electricity bill should be at the top of a cabinet agenda on Sept. 7, warning that FPM ministers reject to discuss any issue before the endorsement of the power project.

Their warning comes as As Safir daily reported that the ministers loyal to Aoun were on Wednesday almost reaching a point of suspending their participation in the cabinet.

But the mediation of several sides led to an appeasement pending a consensus prior to the Sept. 7 session.