Former Lebanese Interior Minister Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Marwan Charbel: I Can No Longer Afford Full-Time Electricity; I Have Disconnected From The Main Power Grid And Fired The Maid

In a June 10, 2022 show on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon), former Lebanese Interior Minister Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Marwan Charbel shared that he relies on his son to make ends meet financially and that despite having been a cabinet member and a senior officer in the military, the situation in Lebanon is so bad that he cannot stay connected to the main power grid and has a small generator that only supplies his house with electricity for 12 hours every day. When the show host asked how this could be the situation for a former member of cabinet, Charbel replied: "The problem in this country is that an honest cabinet minister is called an ass, and a thieving cabinet minister is called shrewd." For more about Marwan Charbel, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9476 and 7374.

Marwan Charbel: "[Lebanese Minister of Public Works Ali Hamie] is doing a lot of work. I would like to salute him and say: Bravo! I hope that he returns (when a new government is formed). Even though he is affiliated with Hizbullah, you people do not praise him enough..."

Host: "It's because our testimony would be considered tainted..."

Charbel: "Not true. You should throw a spotlight on any minister who is active."

Host: "C'mon, you really don't need to recommend Minister Hamie to us. We do throw a spotlight on him, but you are not watching Al-Manar..."

Charbel: "Well, I have no electricity..."

Host: "Aren't you connected to the power grid?"

Charbel: "No. I don't have electricity."

Show Host: "Seriously?"

Charbel: "Yes. I'm not connected."

Host: "Don't you have a private generator?"

Charbel: "I have a small one."

Host: "So you turn it off a lot. Is it because of the diesel fuel?"

Charbel: "I am being serious here. From midnight to 5 AM, I have no power."

Host: "So you decided on this rationing..."

Charbel: "I can't afford it. Do you expect me to turn it on for 12 hours, and then get power from the grid for 12 hours? It would cost over 7 million... "

Host: "How come your [military] pension is not enough?"

Charbel: "My son helps me. I am not ashamed to say this."

Host: "Your son helps you with your daily expenses?"

Charbel: "Absolutely. I am not ashamed of this. I used to help him, and now..."

Host: "But you are a former cabinet minister and a former general... "

Charbel: "The problem in this country is that an honest cabinet minister is called an ass, while a thieving cabinet minister is called shrewd. I'd like to go back to my ministerial post and be shrewd.

"I don't have a domestic worker. I used to have one, I would pay her $200. I get five million Lebanese pound. When her $200 became my five million, I let her go. That was five months ago. My wife is now doing all the housekeeping."