The cabinet on Thursday avoided debate on controversial plans to construct a dam in the Janna Valley in Nahr Ibrahim, postponing the topic to its next session, as environmental activists staged a rally outside the Grand Serail.
Several ministers had voiced conflicting stances before entering the cabinet session.
“We are against the Janna dam project,” State Minister for Administrative Development Nabil de Freij said.
De Freij is close to al-Mustaqbal movement of which several officials have said that they are opposed to the project over environmental concerns. The Free Patriotic Movement has meanwhile rejected the environmental arguments, accusing Mustaqbal of obstructing the project due to political motives.
“Our behavior has been purely environmental in the issue of the Janna dam and we will abide by what the experts say. We are not against the project as a project but we must take its environmental impact into consideration,” Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq, who is close to Mustaqbal, said.