October 10, 2026
The media office of the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, reopened the file of the Zouk and Jiyeh electrical plants, rejecting the accusations that Bassil is burdened with financial burdens related to their establishment, and calling on those concerned in the Ministry of Energy and Water to explain the reasons for the two plants to stop working and depriving the Lebanese of their nutrition.
The statement accused the current administration of the Ministry of Energy and Water of causing the two plants to be shut down, criticizing what it described as “fake news” being circulated about Bassil’s financial responsibility as a result of written additions made to the terms and conditions book.
The statement explained that the aforementioned amendments were made in 2013 based on an explicit authorization from the Council of Ministers, and were limited to rearranging the priority of documents to facilitate financing of the project, stressing that the technical specifications were not affected, the cost was increased, or the implementation deadline was modified. He added that the contractor committed in writing, before starting work, to adhere to the book of conditions approved by the Audit Bureau without any amendment.
Regarding the delayed completion of the project, the statement held the Ministry of Finance responsible for the delay in paying the contractor’s dues, considering that this delay exposed the state to demanding international compensation, pointing out that work resumed immediately after the dues were paid and without new amendments, until the two plants were completed and entered service in 2017.
On the judicial level, the media office confirmed that the local investigations did not lead to any allegations against Bassil or prove any responsibility against him. He also pointed out that international arbitration did not hold the state responsible for any responsibility resulting from written additions, but rather imposed on it the consequences of financial delay, refusing to consider manual additions as evidence of forgery, stressing that they must be evaluated in terms of content and legality, not form.
The statement concluded by refusing to hold those who completed the two plants responsible, calling for accountability to be directed to those who previously disrupted them and those behind their current cessation, directing a direct question to the current officials: “Who shut down the Zouk and Jiyeh plants, and why are they still not working?”
