BEIRUT: Opposition March 14 politicians criticized Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun’s call for people to demonstrate against severe electricity rationing, asking, tongue-in-cheek, how Aoun could call for such a protest when he and his allies enjoy a majority in the Cabinet.

Beirut MP Ammar Houri, from the Future Movement, expressed surprise over Aoun’s call as the FPM leader has one third of the ministers in Cabinet and he, along with his allies, have two thirds of the portfolios.

Aoun called Tuesday on “all Lebanese who pay electricity bills to participate in a peaceful demonstration ... to tell the state that it needs to be serious.” He said the date of the demonstration would be announced later.

The government – and Energy Minister Jibran Bassil in particular – has come under attack recently as most parts of the country have faced a month of severe power outages in the country.

Addressing a news conference at Parliament, Houri read remarks he said were made by Aoun to Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper on Sept. 28, 2006.

“The Cabinet does not take to the streets but the opposition has the constitutional right to demonstrate and protest against the work of the government, its mistakes and mismanagement in governance,” he said.

Houri said that Aoun’s remarks indicated that his call for a demonstration was unconstitutional, adding that Aoun was the “king of the policy of shifting 180 degrees.” The lawmaker called on Aoun’s ministers to resign.

For his part, Batroun MP Butros Harb said that Aoun’s call for a demonstration was appropriate, but he added that Aoun did not specify who would be the target of the demonstration. “Is it against the Cabinet, the responsible [Energy] Minister [Jibran Bassil] or an unknown person?”

“Actually, we support General Aoun’s call, but if we demonstrate, we will demonstrate against this Cabinet and against the responsible minister for this issue in the Cabinet,” said Harb in a statement. Bassil is Aoun’s son-in-law.

“General Aoun and the relevant minister are demanding that Lebanese turn a blind eye to violations and corruption under the pretext of improving electricity,” Harb said.

Commenting on Aoun’s call, Issam Abu Jamra, a former senior FPM official, said that Aoun was “inciting, intimidating and attacking in vain from Rabieh.”

“He lost his credibility in the movement because of his unilateral decision-making in commanding [the party], and also in the Cabinet due to [his] impotence and authoritarianism,” Abu Jamra said in a statement.

“No more presidential, parliamentary or even municipal seat [for Aoun],” he added.

For its part, Hezbollah urged the government to “collectively” address endemic electricity shortages, while defending Bassil.

“There is no doubt that the crisis is the result of deterioration which this sector has witnessed over years and for which successive Cabinets are responsible,” said a statement by Hezbollah.

“A ministry alone cannot be held responsible for this crisis or for resolving it, but confronting this dilemma is the responsibility of the Cabinet,” the statement said.

Hezbollah said that failing to address the electricity problem causes significant economic and social risks.

Metn MP Sami Gemayel, a Kataeb (Phalange) Party official, said that Bassil’s handling of the electricity problem was “shameful.”

“There is no minister in the world who would suggest protesting ... That’s why I urge the minister not to underestimate the people’s intelligence,” Gemayel told Future News TV. “Against whom do they want to protest?” he asked.

Gemayel proposed allowing private companies to sell power to the government “because the government’s monopolizing of power production is useless.”