Lebanese Slam *Temporary* Electricity Solution

Lebanese slam 'temporary' electricity solution
Minister, MPs angry over blackouts

By Leila Hatoum
Special to The Daily Star
Saturday, October 09, 2004

BEIRUT: With electricity flowing once again as of Friday throughout Lebanon, many are protesting the temporary solution adopted by Electricite du Liban (EDL) and the Energy and Water Ministry to fix the sector's crisis.

The severe power rationings, in effect for the past week and only temporarily reduced Friday, were due to an oil shortage at EDL, according to Energy Minister Ayoub Humayed.

EDL general director Kamal Hayek said the Zouk power plant, which feeds the Mount Lebanon area, resumed work at midnight Thursday.

"The administrative district of Beirut will have around-the-clock electricity, while the South, the Bekaa and North Lebanon districts will have around 21 hours" per day, a statement said.

As for Mount Lebanon, which includes Beirut's southern suburbs, EDL said it will be receive about 18 hours of electricity per day.

Mount Lebanon, which was the last to have power restored Friday afternoon, "will start to receive around 21 hours of electricity by Friday night," said the statement, contradicting a Thursday statement saying electricity would be restored by Saturday.

Humayed condemned the blackouts, which ranged from 18 hours a day to a total blackout in many areas.

Humayed told The Daily Star that the fuel oil unloaded at the various power plants "will keep the electrical current flowing most of the time until the end of this month."

However, he said he "doesn't approve of this temporary solution to the crisis," and that there has to be "a radical solution to the problem."

On the other hand, Beirut MP Adnan Arakji considered the electricity crisis "a scandal" saying that the matter should be discussed thoroughly in order to find a "once-and-for-all solution."

He also asked how "reviving the Iraqi electrical sector needs less than $7 billion," while Lebanon has already spent "$9 billion on its electricity sector and yet is still suffering from darkness."