Qabbani says Aoun considers Bassil a ‘divine miracle’

MP Mohammad Qabbani, Head of Public Works, Transportation, Energy and Water Parliamentary Commission said on Monday that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun considers his son-in-law, Energy Minister Gebran Bassil, a “divine miracle.”

“The problem with Aoun is that he thinks his son-in-law, Gebran, is a divine miracle and that he has [Albert] Einstein’s intellect and the integrity of a saint,” National News Agency quoted Qabbani as saying.

“If darkness prevails over Lebanon it is everyone else’s fault, not [Bassil’s]. It is the duty of the Lebanese people who are protesting against Bassil to instead protest in support of Bassil and against everyone who did not yet grant billons to Bassil to spend as he pleases. Only then, there will be electricity,” he said sarcastically.

Qabbani also slammed Aoun’s statement that Bassil was “not responsible” for power cuts because he had prepared a “complete plan for the electricity sector since 2010.”

“This is not true. [All he had prepared] was a list of electricity projects. Which plan [is he talking about] when [Bassil] is violating laws [related to the electricity sector?]”

According to analysts Lebanon is witnessing the worst power blackouts ever . In Mount Lebanon areas which are classified as tourist resorts there are days where power is on for 3 to 4 hours a day and where blackouts can last as long as 12 hours in one stretch. This has reportedly outraged the tourists who are threatening to leave if the situation does not improve.

Many Lebanese citizens took to the streets to express their outrage over the power cuts. Several main roads were temporarily blocked with burning tires during the past days. Beirut’s airport road was also affected by the protests.

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