No Compromise Yet as Aoun Rejects Proposals on Electricity Project

Less than a week before a Sept. 7 cabinet session, reports do not indicate that officials have reached consensus on the controversial electricity project that calls for allocating $1.2 billion to the energy minister to generate 700 Megawatts of electricity.

Al-Liwaa daily said that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, who has proposed the electricity draft law, told mediators that any mechanism in the implementation of the electricity plan should not limit Energy Minister Jebran Bassil’s decisive powers.

Informed ministerial sources expressed fears that involved parties would keep holding onto their stances, leading to a deadlock in the implementation of the project.

The electricity crisis erupted after ministers loyal to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat called for the formation of a technical committee to oversee the spending of the funds. But Aoun and his son-in-law Bassil have rejected.

The sources told An Nahar daily that unlike a report by Hizbullah mouthpiece al-Manar station that agreement has been reached on several issues, Aoun hasn’t yet approved any of the proposals made at a ministerial meeting held at the Grand Serail under Premier Najib Miqati on Monday.

The suggestions include a governmental control on the spending of the funds, the formation of the electricity regulatory authority, giving an essential role to state-run Electricite du Liban in the implementation of the project and the possibility of receiving money from Arab funds.

The sources have expressed fear that ministers wouldn’t be able to reach agreement at a ministerial meeting scheduled to be held next Monday ahead of the Sept. 7 cabinet session.

The failure to approve the draft law would lead to a stalemate after threats made by Aoun that his ministers wouldn’t discuss any other item on the cabinet agenda if the ministers don’t endorse the electricity project.