Beirut: LebanonThe interior minister said the power company is charging $16 million to supply electricity on the day of the May 15 parliamentary elections, about 30 percent more than the total election budget.
Holding credible elections is one of the main steps that Lebanon’s major donors are pushing for more aid to the country, which has been mired in a deep financial crisis due to endemic corruption.
State-owned Electricite du Liban (EDL) presented a $16 million bid to the government, which is attempting to give polling stations just half a day’s worth of power for the crucial vote.
“I had several meetings with EDL, which obviously could not provide electricity except at a very high cost,” Interior Minister Basamo mavlawi said.
“The entire election in the country and abroad doesn’t cost that much,” Mawlawi said. He said his total budget for the vote was $12.5 million.
Mawlawi was adamant that the government was working to push the elections ahead as scheduled, despite persistent rumors that they could be cancelled.
Lebanon, grappling with an unprecedented economic crisis since 2019, and which defaulted on its debt in March 2020, has been facing severe power shortages for almost a year, mainly because the government has shut down power stations. Can’t afford fuel.
Power cuts in most areas last up to 22 hours a day, forcing many to rely on expensive generator subscriptions to keep the lights on.
The international community has long called for a complete replacement of Lebanon’s loss-making power sector, which has cost the government more than $40 billion since the end of the 1975–1990 civil war, which is in dire straits. It is one of the basic conditions for distributing billions of dollars in need financials. Cooperation.
EDL had asked for cash payment, Mavalvi said.
Mawlawi said the government could turn to private generators to power polling stations, which would require electricity to light up rooms at night, when votes were counted soon after polling closed.
“I cannot trust the state because despite the high cost demand, EDL cannot guarantee concrete results… which can lead to sudden blackouts,” the interior minister said.
“The biggest problem facing Lebanon is the electricity issue… but we will be able to solve it by election day,” he said.
Lebanon’s energy crisis is one of its many economic woes, as the currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value.
Most of the population of Lebanon lives below the poverty line. Power cuts mean streets are dark at night and surveillance cameras are effectively obsolete, leading to an increase in some types of crime, Mawlawi said, citing deepening poverty as another driving force.
Interior ministry figures show that armed robberies increased by 135 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year, and car thefts increased by nearly a quarter in the same period.
At the same time, Lebanese security forces have weakened as officials have given up looking for other work because their salaries are barely enough to buy basic food for a family.
At least 478 security officers are working internal security force or general security agency The country has left ranks since the start of the crisis, documents provided by the ministry showed.
“There is a problem,” Mawlawi told AFP. But “the number of defectors is not huge. We should not exaggerate the problem,” he said.
Holding credible elections is one of the main steps that Lebanon’s major donors are pushing for more aid to the country, which has been mired in a deep financial crisis due to endemic corruption.
State-owned Electricite du Liban (EDL) presented a $16 million bid to the government, which is attempting to give polling stations just half a day’s worth of power for the crucial vote.
“I had several meetings with EDL, which obviously could not provide electricity except at a very high cost,” Interior Minister Basamo mavlawi said.
“The entire election in the country and abroad doesn’t cost that much,” Mawlawi said. He said his total budget for the vote was $12.5 million.
Mawlawi was adamant that the government was working to push the elections ahead as scheduled, despite persistent rumors that they could be cancelled.
Lebanon, grappling with an unprecedented economic crisis since 2019, and which defaulted on its debt in March 2020, has been facing severe power shortages for almost a year, mainly because the government has shut down power stations. Can’t afford fuel.
Power cuts in most areas last up to 22 hours a day, forcing many to rely on expensive generator subscriptions to keep the lights on.
The international community has long called for a complete replacement of Lebanon’s loss-making power sector, which has cost the government more than $40 billion since the end of the 1975–1990 civil war, which is in dire straits. It is one of the basic conditions for distributing billions of dollars in need financials. Cooperation.
EDL had asked for cash payment, Mavalvi said.
Mawlawi said the government could turn to private generators to power polling stations, which would require electricity to light up rooms at night, when votes were counted soon after polling closed.
“I cannot trust the state because despite the high cost demand, EDL cannot guarantee concrete results… which can lead to sudden blackouts,” the interior minister said.
“The biggest problem facing Lebanon is the electricity issue… but we will be able to solve it by election day,” he said.
Lebanon’s energy crisis is one of its many economic woes, as the currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value.
Most of the population of Lebanon lives below the poverty line. Power cuts mean streets are dark at night and surveillance cameras are effectively obsolete, leading to an increase in some types of crime, Mawlawi said, citing deepening poverty as another driving force.
Interior ministry figures show that armed robberies increased by 135 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year, and car thefts increased by nearly a quarter in the same period.
At the same time, Lebanese security forces have weakened as officials have given up looking for other work because their salaries are barely enough to buy basic food for a family.
At least 478 security officers are working internal security force or general security agency The country has left ranks since the start of the crisis, documents provided by the ministry showed.
“There is a problem,” Mawlawi told AFP. But “the number of defectors is not huge. We should not exaggerate the problem,” he said.