Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri chaired on Saturday the first meeting by the Development and Liberation bloc in the presence of its newly elected Parliament members.

The bloc announced in a statement following the meeting, its "nomination of Speaker Nabih Berri for assuming the presidency of the Parliament Council, hoping that all colleagues would support this nomination and work for it."

The bloc also stressed that "the caretaker government must carry out its duties during the transitional period until a new cabinet is fomed, and to follow-up on files that concern people especially their economic and social affairs, and to control the dollar exchange rate and secure fuel, bread, and other important basic needs for citizens."

At the national level, the bloc announced its adoption of the "road map included in the message addressed by Speaker Berri on the eve of the official results of the elections last Tuesday," considering it "an open invitation to all blocs for dialogue under the dome of Parliament and to approach issues and headlines related to finding effective solutions to save Lebanon from the cycle of danger that threatens it."

"Dialogue alone represents a real prelude to salvation," the bloc underlined in its statement.