Most citizens are spending their nights by candlelight these days, as generator owners, with prior determination, decided to turn off their generators just before Ramadan under the pretext that they are "losing money." They disregard the Ramadan atmosphere and its religious rituals, leaving people vulnerable to darkness amidst the absence of state electricity, which barely lasts an hour, if at all. A significant portion of citizens cannot install solar panels due to their catastrophic situation.
The residents of the town of Doueir could not comprehend the sudden decision of the subscription operator, who announced over the town's mosque loudspeaker that he would turn off his generators that cover 80% of the town's population. This decision struck them like a thunderbolt, and they now break their fast by candlelight and have suhur under the light of their phones, with no intervention from any official or candidate to remedy the situation.
Fatima, a mother of three, awaits the "blessing" of state electricity, as the subscription operator shocked everyone with his decision on the eve of the holy month, delivering a fatal blow to home lighting, leaving people to fend for themselves in the darkness. The street in Doueir is in shock, similar to many towns where subscription owners resorted to either severe rationing or complete shutdowns, in a suspicious move aimed at pressuring the people to raise prices according to their own rates, while municipalities appear weak, even though they could impose a substantial tax on them for utilizing their poles to hang their wires. However, they have never done so and will not, as every subscription operator is affiliated with a political faction and is untouchable.
Moreover, candidates are overly explaining the electricity crisis and the people's suffering while doing nothing to create a project for alternative energy. Outside his shop in Doueir, Abu Mohammad sits, observing the relatively light flow of vehicles. The electricity inside his store is down due to the shutdown of generators, and what worries him is that some goods like cheese and laban may spoil. He blames the leaders, saying, "It's enough that their homes are illuminated; our suffering in the darkness is the last of their concerns."
Of course, during election time, "what does the citizen want?" It's the time of self-interest and electoral benefits, and subscription owners may want to use this as leverage to ensure almost free electoral fuel for themselves, based on the premise of "If you want our votes, support us with fuel and electricity." Will the candidates act on this, or will they turn a deaf ear and seek a donor to provide fuel during the elections?
Residents doubt the intervention of representatives and parties to resolve this issue that has disrupted the holy month. Instead of Abu Mohammad focusing on finding a livelihood, he is overwhelmed with seeking a solution to the darkness without success. "How can I install solar panels or buy batteries and a UPS when my daily wage is 20,000 lira? The subscription operator is a monopolist and a thief who has stolen my light; he is no different from the corrupt representatives and leaders. They promise us solutions to the darkness, and here we are, in the middle of it—what will they do?"
Certainly, widespread damages and losses will result from the subscription operator's decision to stop. Internet outages, disruption of students’ lessons, paralysis of daily life, and halting most businesses ensue. Nevertheless, subscription operator Hassan Tahmaz states that he had to shut down due to incurring monthly losses estimated at around 150 million lira, adding that he can no longer afford fuel. He indicated that he has put the generators and the network at the disposal of the municipality and relevant authorities, saying, "I need fuel and to get moving."
Given this tragic reality, will the parties intervene to save the residents of Doueir from darkness, or will electricity only illuminate during election festivals, while candidates talk about people's crises without initiating any solutions?
