After his dismissal, Jean Gebran announces 'definitive resignation' from Water Authority

The former director general of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Authority, Jean Gebran, who was dismissed from his post on Aug. 6, called his dismissal Sunday, in a statement, a "political decision that transforms public administration into an arena for settling scores" and announced his "definitive resignation."

In early August, Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi told L'Orient-Le Jour that "the senior official's mandate has ended since 2021 and the measure is purely administrative." However, informed sources told al-Markazia that Gebran's dismissal was linked to "his use of the institution to serve his electoral ambitions, after he announced his candidacy for the upcoming legislative elections under the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) banner in Jbeil."

In his statement, Gebran stated that, as soon as Saddi took office, he decided that a new director for the authority should be appointed, which he communicated to the ministry. However, he was then "surprised," according to his remarks, to learn shortly afterwards that he was dismissed, via information leaked to the media. He denounced "defamatory campaigns" that subsequently targeted him in the press. Further defending his record, as he had already done at the end of last week, he stressed that he had "enshrined the principle of fairness in water distribution" during his seven years at the head of the institution and established a "clear plan for rationalizing consumption."

"If some claim that I granted services selectively, the facts on the ground and the testimonials of users from all political and religious backgrounds are the best response to this distortion whose objectives are well known," he added, saying he had submitted his "resignation letter" to Saddi.

Water supply is regularly interrupted or rationed in Beirut, often due to power outages that prevent activating the authority's pumps.