LF Hits Back at Bassil after Electricity Remarks

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil lamented Sunday that “every hour of power rationing by the power plants costs the dollar reserves 32% more,” seeing as the power supply deficit is being covered by privately-owned neighborhood generators.

“And every private generator hour costs the citizen 20 times more than an hour of state-provided power supply,” Bassil added, in a tweet.

“Every moment of darkness and every additional penny paid by the Lebanese people is to be blamed on the MPs who lied to people and deprived Electricite du Liban of buying fuel for the operation of the power plants that require maintenance,” the FPM chief went on to say.

He also blasted the central bank for “refusing to provide dollars from EDL’s funds to purchase replacement parts.”

“The Lebanese should know who is making them live in darkness,” Bassil added.

Several Lebanese Forces officials and MPs snapped back swiftly at the FPM chief.

“What is this insolence? The Energy and Water Ministry was in your hands for 12 years and more than $40 billion were spent,” MP Imad Wakim said.

“You did not listen to international advices and the International Monetary Fund and its plans and the diesel cartel that you run has established a local black market, and on top of this all you want to use the central bank’s reserves,” Wakim added, addressing Bassil.

“You are accusing those who oppose this of being behind the power cuts,” Wakim went on to say, adding that the FPM chief should be “ashamed” of what he did.