For years now, Lebanon's state power provider has struggled to provide more than handful of hours of electricity each day. (Credit: AFP)
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Parliament is scheduled to convene for a sixth presidential election session today, the second attempt to name Michel Aoun’s successor since the onset of a complete executive power vacuum following the end of his term on Oct. 31. Opposition MPs remained undecided on a single candidate after a Tuesday meeting that brought together Forces of Change, Kataeb, Renewal group, National Coalition and Watan al-Insan MPs, as well as independents. While a Hezbollah official on Sunday announced the party would be backing a specific, yet unnamed, candidate, it is unclear whether their identity will be revealed in today’s ballots. Hezbollah MPs, along with those of the Free Patriotic Movement and their allies, cast blank votes in previous sessions. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday proffered a preference for Marada head Sleiman Frangieh’s candidacy. Lebanon is in its second week of a total executive vacuum after MPs failed to elect a head of state before the end of Aoun’s term while the government, having resigned in the aftermath of May parliamentary elections, continues to function in caretaker capacity.
Electricité du Liban announced the first update to its tariffs in nearly 30 years — effective as of February 2023 — billing customers in dollars and collecting payments at the Banque du Liban’s Sayrafa rate. The new prices will range from $0.1 to $0.27 per kilowatt hour; an additional charge per ampere (A) is set at $0.21; and all subscription fees will also increase. November bills, which are supposed to be the first to be calculated according to the new rates, will not be collected until late February/early March. The new tariffs coincide with a planned upgrade to EDL’s electricity coverage, aiming to up operations to “eight to 10 hours” daily from the zero to two hours currently provided. Higher bills are necessary to cover the cost of fuel imports after shortages impeded power plant operation. Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayad, describing the planned tariff hike, said he expected citizens to incur lower electricity costs overall due to a reduced reliance on costly private generator subscriptions.
Security forces arrested the former director general of the road traffic department, Hoda Salloum, in an ongoing case related to corruption in the Vehicle Registration Center. Public prosecutor at the Mount Lebanon Court of Appeal, Nazek el-Khatib, ordered the arrest following caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi’s authorization of legal proceedings against Salloum for “professional negligence.” The ongoing investigation has produced 15 arrest warrants so far, some leveled at senior officials, while reportedly revealing forgery and embezzlement.
The Energy Ministry announced the “temporary” closure of the Tripoli oil facilities in northern Lebanon “pending the implementation of more effective security procedures." The Tripoli Oil Installation, along with its Zahrani counterpart, are the main destinations for state-supervised fuel imports. The ministry cited rampant vandalism to the inoperational pipelines, often aiming to siphon oil and occasionally polluting neighboring lands. Earlier this year, the oil facility’s workers held several protests to demand increased wages. Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayad last year announced plans to advance the renovation of the oil installations, including an expansion to their storage capacity.
General security, while facing a monthslong backlog in appointments for passport renewals, increased the procedure’s fees. The cost of renewing the validity of a passport for five and 10 years increased by LL400,000 and LL800,000, reaching LL1,000,000 and LL2,000,000, respectively. Crisis-engendered passport shortages have stranded many Lebanese citizens as they wait for renewal appointments. In December 2021, General Security head Abbas Ibrahim said the institution received up to 8,000 daily renewal requests. In July, Ibrahim announced a gradual resolution to the passport crisis to be implemented in October, but there has been no follow up on the promise.
In case you missed it, here's our must-read story from yesterday: “Shatila’s first opera: Young Syrian creatives’ performance a ‘window’ to their dreams”
Compiled by Abbas Mahfouz
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles
