BEIRUT: Breaking a four-day silence over the incident that had plunged Lebanon into almost total blackout, Energy and Water Minister Gibran Bassil Monday described the two-day shutdown of the Zahrani power plant in south Lebanon as “a national catastrophe” that threatened to damage government institutions and installations.

Bassil also took a direct swipe at Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement, indirectly accusing it of establishing “a security perimeter” around the Zahrani plant that allegedly prevented security personnel from intervening to restore production at the facility. Most of the workers who brought the Zahrani plant to a standstill are Amal’s supporters.

“The closure of the Zahrani plant is a national catastrophe against the country [and was tantamount to] destroying the state, damaging its installations and institutions and an attack on the Lebanese in general and the southerners in particular,” Bassil told a news conference.

He said the incident at the Zahrani power plant had saddled the state-run electricity company, Electricite du Liban, with “heavy financial losses” in addition to the losses suffered by the national economy as a whole.

“Even in the [1975-90] Lebanese war, water and electricity supplies were not deliberately cut off,” Bassil said. He added that the closure of the Zahrani plant was “a premeditated act” under the pretext of “a strike as a result of certain threats.”

“If the workers were really threatened, why didn’t they ask security personnel to protect them?” Bassil asked. He said if the workers closed the plant to press for their demands for better living conditions and not because they received threats, “the strike is also rejected. In both cases, the matter is unacceptable,” Bassil said.

Bassil, a son-in-law of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, who is allied with Hezbollah, itself an ally of the Amal Movement, called on police to protect the Zahrani plant. He also urged EDL to follow up necessary measures with a Malaysian company operating the plant to ensure normal production levels. The Zahrani district is considered a sphere of influence for Berri and the Amal Movement.

Addressing his words to the Hezbollah-led March 8 parties, Bassil said: “Do we need more talk about security perimeters so that we will not fulfill the request for protection? Silence on this matter is in itself a crime. At least you should speak out and not accept a disgrace to be placed on us, on you, on the country and on all the Lebanese.”

Hezbollah has been accused by March 14 parties of establishing its own security perimeters that allegedly are off-limits to Lebanese security forces.

The Zahrani power plant, Lebanon’s second-largest power plant, resumed electricity production Sunday after Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati intervened to prod southern municipalities into ending the protest which forced the plant’s closure. The deal to end the protest was reached at a meeting held at Berri’s residence in the village of Msaileh in Zahrani Sunday, attended by officials and the heads of up to 15 municipalities.

Zahrani Electricite du Liban employees shut down the plant completely Friday after allegedly receiving threats from residents and municipalities regarding the transport of a transformer from Tyre to Sidon, which Tyre residents claim affected their electricity supply.

“The adapter which has been transported produces 40 megawatts … while the Zahrani plant only requires 20 megawatts, according to technical studies and as per the network’s demands,” a statement EDL released Friday night said, describing the closure of the plant as an “act of vandalism” punishable by law.

In line with the agreement reached by Berri and Mikati, an EDL technical team transferred Monday the 20 MVA transformer, which was at the root of the crisis, from the Sidon plant to Zahrani. Another EDL team put the final touches to the 40MVA transformer that was transported to the Sidon plant before connecting it with the main grid.

Bassil said the chronic electricity problem in Lebanon could be solved by following through on a $1.2 billion plan that has been approved by the Cabinet to boost electricity supply by 700 megawatts.

“The solution is by reforming the electricity sector, without rhetoric and political grandstanding and obstruction. The 700 megawatt plan would have passed quickly” had it not been subjected to a maze of political bickering, Bassil said. He added that his plan to lease electricity from power-generating ships, which was supposed to be implemented in September, has also been delayed.

The Zahrani plant produces around 450 megawatts per day, and accounts for roughly 35 percent of Lebanon’s electricity supply. The plant supplies electricity to Beirut and some areas of the south and Mount Lebanon. Many areas of the country experienced increased electricity outages during the shutdown.

A statement released by EDL Sunday said a 10 megawatt transformer was transferred from the Halat power plant in Jbeil to Zahrani in July to partially resolve the shortage in electricity supply, pending the transfer of a 20 megawatt transformer from the Sidon plant.

The transfer of a 20 megawatt transformer from the Sidon plant to Zahrani will take place as soon as maintenance work is completed on a 40 megawatt transformer currently located in Tyre and to be transferred to Sidon to substitute for the 20 megawatt transformer, the EDL statement added.

Beirut MP Ammar Houri from former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s parliamentary Future bloc described the Zahrani incident as “a scandal” and “an exchange of friendly fire” within the same camp.

Mikati met with President Michel Sleiman at Baabda Palace Monday to discuss the agenda of Wednesday’s Cabinet session. Aoun has linked the participation of his 10 ministers in the meeting to putting his demands on the Cabinet agenda.

Mikati has also been invited to visit France. The invitation was relayed by the French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton who met with Mikati at the Grand Serail Monday. British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher welcomed Mikati’s decision last week to pay Lebanon’s $32 million share to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said his party’s arms were not designed to control the country or eliminate anyone, but rather to defend the country against a possible Israeli attack.

“We are not power seekers … By upholding arms and the resistance, we want to do what God has ordered us and not what the people order us or expect from us,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech on Ashura Monday night. “God has ordered all the people to fight to defend their lands and not to leave their lands and their holy places under occupation,” he said.

Apparently referring to March 14 parties which opposed Hezbollah’s arms, Nasrallah said: “Don’t conspire against the resistance and its arms. Leave it alone. We don’t want support from anyone. Let the resistance defend you, your country, your dignity, your blood, your money, your country’s wealth, your pride and your honor.” – With additional reporting by Mohammed Zaatari