Partial Hall of Shame

In the spirit of changes we see taking place in Lebanon today, I thought it timely to publish information that was itself published by the "venerable" Daily Star on Saturday July 14, 2001. I had cut out that article and saved it for posterity in my little collection of "eternally interesting articles."

Most of you will remember the time Electricite du Liban (Lebanon's national electricity company) and its labor union clashed to such an extent that the union took an initiative that I believe remains without parrallel in Lebanese politics even today: they released a "Partial 'Hall of Shame'" which listed a number of high profile Lebanese individuals and institutions which owed EDL a commulative sum of around LL 1 Billion ($1 = LL 1,500 (Lebanese Lira)).

As usual, once EDL and its union patched things up, everything was swept under the carpet and no one ever heard anything about the allegations made by the union, which claimed that even higher officials have not paid bills, but were simply untouchable - hence the word "partial" in the title of their list.

The Partial Hall of Fame (note: this was published in 2001, it is an exact copy of the list published by the Daily Star)

BLUE highlights the top five debtors
OLIVE GREEN highlights members of the Khazen family

1) Beirut MP Mohammed Qabbani.....................LL15,643,300
2) Baabda MP Salah Harake................................LL7,650,000
3) Western Bekaa MP Sami Khatib....................LL58,506,950
4) Baalbek-Hermel MP Ghazi Zeaiter................LL10,953,780
5) Former MP Tala Merehbi................................LL7,723,478
6) Nabatieh MP Yassin Jaber..............................LL20,000,000
7) Nabatieh MP Abdel-Latif Zein........................LL21,000,000
8) Zahle MP Mohsen Dalloul................................LL7,871,000
9) Former Jounieh Mayor Haikal Khazen..........LL21,059,000
10) Home in Aintoura........................................LL30,266,540
11) Haikal Khazen and Butros Shehwan.............LL11,802,130
12) Haikal Khazen and frmr. MP Rusheid Khazen..LL7,485,900
13) Rusheid Khazen..........................................LL5,749,680
14) Rafik Khazen...............................................LL95,858,090
15) Beirut MP Nasser Qandil...............................LL7,011,190
16) Melhem Barakat.........................................LL27,518,516
17) Frmr. Army Comander Ibrahim Tannous...LL6,950,260
18) Notre Dame Du Liban Hospital......................LL227,861,250
19) Hospital owner Fawzi Odaimi........................LL53,919,950
20) Frmr MP Mounir Abu Fadel..........................LL15,180,666
21) Frmr MP Michel Sassine (home)...................LL54,928,600
22) Frmr MP Michel Sassine (office)...................LL720,200
23) Frmr PM Adel Osseiran.................................LL44,791,910
24) Frmr Civil Servant Lucien Dahdah..............LL22,942,640
25) Nohad Soueid Hospital....................................LL77,557,100
26) Frmr MP Abdallah Rassi.................................LL4,633,260
27) Businessman, George Milad Ghazal-Mouawad..LL14,887,250
28) SSNP official, Inaam Raad...............................LL7,523,394

The following individuals challenged the claims made by EDL's Union and, in some cases, took their complaints to the courts:

Beirut MP Qabbani
Baabda MP Harakeh
Nabatieh MP Jaber
Zahle MP Dalloul
Beirut MP Qandil
Frmr. MP Sassine
Businessman Mouawad

-- END --

Three reasons I published this post:

1. Although LL1 Billion adds up to around $667 thousand, which is relatively minor compared to the overall EDL debt, that sum of money allegedly owed to EDL in 2001 is a tremendous amount in absolute terms - especially when superimposed on the fact that a little over twenty people people owe that money.

2. The nubmers listed above (again, if true) should also help to debunk the myth that the reason EDL is in such shambles is because the desperately poor Shi'a of Southern Beirut do not pay their utility bills. The habit of not respecting state institutions and accepting citizen obligations permeates all segments of society - especially the elite.

3. I want closure. Developments in Lebanon have a habbit of leaving spectators hanging! As I said in the beginning of this entry, I hope the apparently new spirit of reform we are seeing today will tackle some of the toughest issues that haunt us, such as the one highlighted above.