Member of Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Lebanon MP Neemtallah Abi Nasr said that the last word in the electricity bill “remains in the hands of the parliament."

MP Neemtallah Abi Nasr to Al-Manar Website:
Last Word in Electricity Bill in Hands of MPs
March 14 Seeking to Overthrow Government
Patriarch Represents National Conscience
Glory of All Lebanon Was Given to Patriarch
Christians’ Concerns in Region… Natural
Bkerke Policy: Openness and Interaction!

Member of Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Lebanon MP Neemtallah Abi Nasr said that the last word in the electricity bill “remains in the hands of the parliament’s General Assembly” to which the proposal would be submitted following the joint committees’ meeting expected on Wednesday. He said that the opposition lawmakers were seeking to obstruct the approval of the bill, and cautioned that the Lebanese citizen would be again the one paying the price.

In an exclusive interview with Al-Manar Website, Abi Nasr stressed that the historic visit made by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to Baalbek came in the framework of the policy adopted by the church and based on the openness and interaction with the others. He noted that the patriarch was for all Lebanese, not only Maronites, and highlighted that the “glory” of the whole Lebanon was given to him.

The Lebanese MP emphasized that the Maronite Patriarch represented the conscience of national thinking. He said that the concerns recently expressed by the patriarch were more than legal and natural, and urged to learn lessons from the previous experiences, especially what happened in Iraq, where it has been proven that Americans have neither a heart nor a conscience.

WHO PAYS THE PRICE?!
MP Abi Nasr, who took part in Monday’s joint parliamentary committees’ meeting which discussed the electricity bill and was postponed until Wednesday, told Al-Manar Website that the opposition lawmakers came to the visit with a prior decision to obstruct the discussions, even if this obstruction was at the expense of the Lebanese citizens who would have to pay again the price of the March 14 forces’ commitment to delay everything.

Abi Nasr said that any decision in this regard was not taken during Monday’s session, and predicted a voting process to take place on Wednesday. “Yet, the last word will remain in the hands of the parliament’s General Assembly to which the bill will be transferred in light of Wednesday’s session,” he said.

LAST WORD...
While stressing that the March 14 forces were behind the obstruction, he said that the so-called opposition forces were seeking to hinder the governmental process as a whole, regardless of the value of its projects. “If they can topple the government, today before tomorrow, they will not lose such opportunity,” he went on to say.

MP Abi Nasr backed Energy Minister Gebran Bassil in his efforts to resolve the electricity crisis, and said the minister was right when he told As-Safir daily the March 14-led opposition was suffering from “political schizophrenia” for criticizing the bill after approving it under the previous government. He said these forces were satisfied with nothing, neither the plan nor the minister himself.

Whether he was assured that the bill would be adopted at the end of the day despite everything, he stressed “the last word remains in the hands of the parliament’s general assembly.”

PATRIARCH OF ALL LEBANESE…
Separately, MP Abi Nasr pointed to the recent historic visit made by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to Baalbek. He noted that this visit came in harmony with the norms of the Christian church, which have been based on openness towards all stances and regions. He explained that Christians have believed that the glory of Lebanon, and not only of Maronites, was given to the patriarch.

Abi Nasr stressed that the Maronite patriarch was therefore the patriarch of all Lebanon without exception. He pointed that the message carried out by the Christian church was a message of openness and interaction with the other. “Lebanon is based on this interaction among Maronites, Shiites, Sunnis, Druze and all other sects,” he said, but expressed hope at the same time that one day would come and the state would be above all these sects.

CONSCIENCE OF NATIONAL THINKING
Commenting on the latest stances criticized the Patriarch al-Rahi over his recent positions, Abi Nasr emphasized that the patriarch represented the conscience of national thinking.

“Personally, I shared with the patriarch the concerns he has expressed over the fate of Christians in case a change of rule takes place in Syria, or that the bloody incidents turn to sectarian strife here or there.”
He described the patriarch’s concerns as more than natural in light of the situation in the region.

The Change and Reform lawmaker called to take lessons from previous experiences, especially the Iraqi one, pointing to the Iraqi situation as well the Armenians’ genocide.
“This is in brief what was planned for Syria,” he warned.
“Experience has proven that Americans have neither conscience nor heart,” he confirmed.