Press digest for Wednesday September 07, 2011

5^min

A breakthrough in the electricity dispute

An-Nahar daily learned Wednesday that cross-bloc conversations flew thick Tuesday night to avoid a possible deadlock facing the afternoon ministerial session, as well as the cabinet itself.

An-Nahar also reported that a new possible solution for the funding issue pertaining to the plan was discussed in Verdun and Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil will communicate it to Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah and Aoun.

Ministerial sources described the proposed solution as “smart” and affordable, through which the funding could be divided over many years.

Information made available to the daily showed that an agreement was reached on the other disputed points of the plan, among which is the amendment of the electricity law 462 and the establishment of a regulatory body and board of directors for the electricity company.

Berri: Electricity plan to be unanimously approved

Al-Joumhouria daily quoted Speaker Nabih Berri Wednesday as saying that the electricity draft law will be unanimously approved during the cabinet session without having to resort to a vote which might spur dispute in the parliament.

Berri said that he refused to go into details with the persons who called him to discuss the tabled solutions, telling them that he had already suggested a solution and he was waiting for them to finalize a draft law accordingly so that the General Authority of the Parliament could pass it as soon as possible.

Al-Joumhouria reported that Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil told Berri last night that the concerned sides are close to reaching an agreement on the electricity plan based on the draft law forwarded by the speaker, adding that Berri responded “Had they accepted the solution I suggested 20 days ago, we would have spared ourselves this delay on such a vital issue that concerns all the Lebanese”.

Mouawad: Hezbollah will collapse as all authoritarian regimes have

Al-Mustaqbal daily quoted Independence Movement leader Michel Mouawad Wednesday as saying that the cabinet will not collapse, no matter how heated the dispute may become, unless regional events dictate, adding that putting the blame on Hariri lacks the slightest degree of objectivity. Mouawad called on Hezbollah to submit its arms under the authority of the state, for the battle it is launching “is doomed to failure”.

“Hezbollah will collapse as all authoritarian regimes have.”

Electricity plan torn by the funding crisis

Al-Liwaa daily quoted State Minister Ahmad Karami Wednesday as saying that he and PM Najib Mikati are convinced by the electricity plan, however, the problem lies in providing funding for its implementation, adding there is still enough time to settle differences.

“I hope that we will be able to achieve a breakthrough before the afternoon ministerial session”, Karami said. Karami wondered why the Change and Reform bloc is obstinate about funding the electricity plan through the state treasury that obviously does not contain such amount, adding dividing the amount is a plausible solution that suits all the sides.

In his turn, State Minister Ali Kanso told Al-Liwaa that in case the fund partitioning is approved, he will forward a draft law to the parliament in which the cabinet pledges to fund the rest of the plan from the treasury if the Arab funds fails to cover the whole amount.

Lebanon’s contribution to STL exceeds $16.5 million

Al-Joumhouria daily quoted diplomatic sources Wednesday as saying that the Lebanese contribution to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has exceeded $16.5 million since last March and it will be doubled by mid-January.

The sources added that providing the said amount constitutes an important obligation for the cabinet especially after Lebanon has assumed presidency of the U.N. Security Council and to shirk this duty would not be appreciated by the international community.