Amid the politically and economically cloudy atmosphere, as well as the electricity crisis, the ongoing conflict between the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the "Free Patriotic Movement" appears to have led Mikati to decide to invite the Cabinet for a session early next week with a single agenda item. He holds the boycotting ministers responsible for the session not taking place, given the urgent issues that need to be addressed, particularly regarding the approval of the $62 million advance payment meant to unload fuel tankers that have been anchored off the Lebanese coast for more than 20 days, necessary for operating the electricity generation plants of Electricité du Liban, which have been out of service since the beginning of this year.
In relation to this matter, ministerial sources revealed to "Anbaa" electronic newspaper that there is a decision to hold a Cabinet session to resolve pressing issues, foremost among which is the approval of the electricity advance. Mikati has clearly stated that this matter will only proceed according to the law, and he is committed to the constitution and convinced of it, not willing to overlook this without legal justification. Accordingly, he distributed the agenda to the ministers to ensure that no one claims they were not informed about it, as happened in the previous meeting.
The sources find no justification for Energy Minister Walid Fayad's absence from the electricity session other than political reasons that align with his parliamentary bloc’s stance, without any technical background for his absence. The same applies to other ministers who hold similar positions regarding the Ministry of Energy, as it is everyone's duty to assist in running affairs that serve the public.
The sources anticipate that Economy Minister Amin Salam will not boycott this session given the critical stage and urgent issues related to his ministry. Additionally, the sources believe that the Iraqi contract, which General Security Director Major General Abbas Ibrahim pursued last summer after raising it to two million tons, should have been activated, as it was considered at the time to be a preferable contract.
