Sadey's Boycott Shakes the Government... Will It Topple It?

"The man is humane"... This is a description that experts in the energy and electricity sectors, as well as all stakeholders—even among his opponents—do not hesitate to use for "boycotting" Energy and Water Minister Joe Sadey. This attribute comes alongside everyone's acknowledgment of his professionalism, integrity, long experience in the sector, and high competence in this field. But... none of this exempted him from taking the decision he repeatedly threatened until the time for implementation arrived.

The minister announced today his boycott "at this stage, from attending cabinet sessions, until the government assumes its responsibilities towards the energy sector and deals seriously with the proposals presented to ensure the continuity of electricity and protect citizens from additional burdens."

Was Sadey deliberately embarrassed, leading to his exclusion?! The demands he recalled in his press conference today were not impossible if there had been an intention to address them... then rescue.

Perhaps, as monitoring circles revealed to "Al-Markaziya," the government's stance of refusing to align with Sadey's demands may cause his boycotting step to rebound as additional pressure on the government's winding path due to the Israeli war on the south and its catastrophic social, economic, and financial repercussions. Until now, the government's priority has become securing funds for the shelter file before other priorities... This raises a question mark about whether imposing the 300,000 Lebanese pound fee on a liter of gasoline, which Sadey insisted must be canceled, will lead to what happened with the 20-cent fee on calls via internet applications proposed by then-Communications Minister Mohammad Chaker, which ignited the October 17, 2019 protests in Lebanon, directly resulting in the fall of Prime Minister Saad Hariri's third government?

Until the truth of these probabilities becomes clear or not, one energy expert proposes many quick solutions that cool the burning tongue of the citizen regarding energy costs, far from the heavy burdens they are currently facing on the doorstep of winter.

He initially asserts through "Al-Markaziya" that "there is no solution to the electricity problem in Lebanon except by moving to 'decentralization of production and distribution' modeled after 'Zahle Electricity,' and consequently, the parliament should immediately amend the distributed energy production law to allow municipalities, in cooperation with the private sector, to produce energy from any renewable source."

Then he reviews some of those solutions, which remain at the forefront of radical, quick, and least costly treatment, according to his expression, away from expensive projects that require years to achieve:

- First: Strictly activating collection, and placing electricity theft (so-called "connection") under intensive scrutiny without cover from anyone... for anyone.

- Second: Merging electricity facilities with each other, for example, merging "Qadisha Electricity Company" with "Electricité du Liban."

- Third: Merging regional oil facilities with the General Directorate of Petroleum.

- Fourth: Reviewing the mechanism for importing hydrocarbons.

- Fifth: Operating the Zouk and Jiyyeh power plants, which run on fuel oil at lower cost.

While waiting to proceed with these solutions, despite the political reality making it difficult, the fate of the country hangs in the balance. The reality remains uncertain, but the stakes are high.