BASSIL FROM QADISHA: THEY WILL NOT OVERCOME OUR WILL & ADHERENCE TO OUR LAND, EXPANDED DECENTRALIZATION, TRUST FUND ARE THE GATEWAY TO COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT

Free Patriotic Movement Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, indicated, during a ceremony held Sunday at the Mar Lisha Plant in Qadisha Valley, that “the meeting today is beautiful in its meanings of faith, people’s faith in their land despite the bankruptcy that occurred in the Electricité du Liban…It was important to have a donor, as our colleague and friend William Tawq did, but the most important thing is the will and determination to make the project and electricity a success, which proves attachment to the land and the country…” He added: “The second meaning of this gathering lies in the fact that each region can suffice itself with its own resources. The central state in Lebanon has failed to develop the regions and serve the people by exploiting state facilities…This project shows us the way to electrical sufficiency. Today, we in Lebanon are producing more than 1000 megawatts of production capacity from solar energy. If the state fails, then let the people manage their affairs…” Bassil continued, “If we fail to endorse decentralization, every citizen and every region must think and implement to meet their needs. Thus, we can impose decentralization without waiting for its approval, as the country cannot be left to the unknown.” He believed that the most pressing entitlement at this stage is the presidential election, “but electing a president is not the sole solution,” he said, adding, “Every six years the same crisis will recur as long as our constitution is the same, which was originally laid down to protect the components, but they ventured into imposing a president on us…The solution is either to have the president elected directly by the people or to refrain from using quorum to obstruct.” “Today, we are taking advantage of this constitutional entitlement to try to achieve two national demands, the expanded decentralization that does not impact the central authority of the state and has nothing to do with foreign or defense policy, but rather allows each region to be independent with its revenues…Regardless of the presidential constitutional entitlement, decentralization must be applied. The trust fund also allows the state’s resources to be managed by the private sector that is willing to invest, which secures additional revenues and contributes to returning part of the depositors’ money. It is a necessity after the failure of the state to manage its resources,’ Bassil went on to underline. He stressed that ‘when all the state’s resources are placed in the trust fund, all the state’s resources are multiplied.’ In turn, Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, who was also present during the event, gave a word in which he highlighted the importance of this project, thanking “all the endeavors that led to its completion, including the efforts of MP William Tawq and Minister Bassil.” He said: “We thank this initiative to which MP William Tawq contributed and was completed by our beloved son, Gebran Bassil…” “The light alone shows the truth, and that the people are brave and ready for sacrifice, confrontation, and steadfastness on the land,” the Patriarch continued, adding, “Everything you spoke about in your words today, and everything you achieved is a prelude for us to get out of this dark tunnel in which we live in the country.” In turn, MP Tawq spoke about the cultural, touristic, and struggle history of Qadisha, thanking Minister Bassil for his endeavors to complete the project, noting that the absence of an alliance in the elections did not undermine cooperation in this project. Tawq expressed a “stand of conscience” towards Minister Bassil, “who doubled his efforts to make the vital strategic project a success because he knows its importance towards consolidating presence on the land.” “This project reflects our common belief in the vitality of expanded financial and administrative decentralization, which the Free Patriotic Movement is waging a battle to implement,” Tawq concluded.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon