Bassil lauds Berri's 'positive' words, hopes for president in September

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has expressed optimism about a presidential dialogue which might take place in September, as he again called for decentralization, creating a trust fund and completing the Central Bank forensic audit.

In a speech Thursday, Bassil said the FPM had a clear condition to participate in a dialogue suggested by French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian.

"Our condition was to reach at the end of the dialogue a consensus that would lead to successive presidential election sessions," he said.

Speaker Nabih Berri called on Thursday on the heads of parliamentary blocs and political parties to participate in "dialogue in parliament for seven days at most in September" before going to "open-ended sessions to elect a president."

Bassil described Berri's words as "positive".

"If that is the case, God willing, we will have a president in September," Bassil said.

On another note, Bassil reiterated his warning against the Syrian displacement to Lebanon and called for preventing the naturalization of the refugees.