BEIRUT, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A dozen of Lebanese protesters were injured on Wednesday evening during clashes with soldiers in the city of Tripoli over increased power rationing, the National News Agency reported.
The protesters, who gathered near the Qadisha Electricity Company, threw stones at the soldiers, who fired tear gas to disperse them.
Lack of electricity in Lebanon has been a problem for many years, as the government is incapable of generating the needed amount of power.
Successive governments have failed over the years to build power stations to solve the electricity problem in Lebanon.
In recent years, Electricite Du Liban's budget deficit has ranged between 1.5-2 billion U.S. dollars, depending largely on the oil prices in international markets.
The Qadisha Electric Company is a privately managed power firm subcontracted by Electricite du Liban to serve Tripoli.
