Parliament Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun has expressed dissatisfaction in procedures undertaken regarding tenders floated for constructing the proposed Al-Zour mega power plant.

According to sources close to Popular Action Bloc (PAB)that Al-Saadoun met with Deputy Speaker Khalid Al-Sultan and two ministers, which reportedly took place recently with hope of settling the dispute and pushing projects forward. The Speaker could not be convinced to change his mind.

Anti-government lawmakers led by Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun objected to the project on the basis that the government failed to follow legal procedures in floating the tender to establish the shareholding company to build the north Zour power plant.

Although Anas Al-Saleh, the Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Electricity and Water, Abdul-Aziz Al-Ibrahim, State Minister of Municipality Affairs reportedly tried to explain the safety of the government’s measures, “Al-Saadoun said. “Perhaps, the majority bloc will continue to reject the project unless the Cabinet makes changes and re-floats the tender,” sources said.

The Popular Action Bloc (PAB) argues that the Cabinet’s closed bidding on the project’s tender before the Parliament passed a 2010 law that organizes the process of establishing shareholding companies that build mega projects included in the state’s development plan.

The government fears that any delay in the north Zour project will ‘certainly hurt’ the ability to increase electricity and water production by 2014, according to senior MEW officials.

Meanwhile, Assistant General Director for Housing Planning Waleed Al-Jassem announced details of new housing units, south of the Seventh Ring Road and north of Subbiya.

Al-Jassem said that the first site includes 7,400 housing units each 600 square meters, and the area is west of Abdullah Al-Mubarak residential area and its overall area is 9.27 sq km.

The second location, north of Subbiya will be in an area of 79.70 sq km and the total number of housing units are 52,625 each 400 square meter. Al-Jassem said those locations are being approved by municipal council, before handing it over to the Public Authority for Housing. He pointed that those housing units will help reduce the number of applicants in the waiting list after the distribution of more than 60,000 units.