Montreal: Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri welcomed the US Secretary of State, who made a short stop in Beirut on Wednesday to reaffirm Washington’s support to Lebanon.

John Kerry reiterated America’s backing and called for the election of a new president who would continue Michel Sulaiman’s legacy in building the country’s institutions. It was a tall order since local politicians honed their rare obstructionist skills that, for all practical purposes, enshrined them in the annals of paralysis.

The ongoing row, over a mechanism that would regulate how the government functioned during this interim period — whether a decree required two signatures [the Prime Minister’s and the relevant Minister’s] or necessitated the entire cabinet’s approval — further handicapped the work that Salam hoped to accomplish.

“I am a very patient person but am also clear,” said the premier, adding: “I will hold onto the implementation of the constitution,” which was misinterpreted by foes hell bent to place as many roadblocks as possible when they failed to get what they wanted.

According to press reports, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil [Free Patriotic Movement] and an unnamed colleague, rejected Salam’s solution and insisted on absolute majorities for each and every decision. Verbal spats were apparently exchanged, which prompted the question as to whether the FPM leadership was determined to freeze all government prerogatives.

For his part, Speaker Berri issued a warning to deputies boycotting parliamentary sessions, proposing to take unspecified measures against them for “only choosing from the menu the food they like.”

In remarks to Al Safir on Wednesday, Berri declared: “Things would get straight if those who are boycotting the (sessions) implement the Constitution and laws,” oblivious to March 8 boycotts that prevented the election of a head of state on April 23 and ever since. Using colourful language, Berri accused deputies — that presumably included his own alliance officials — of being “worse them farm owners.”

Ironically, Foreign Minister Bassil travelled to China on official business, and therefore missed Kerry in Beirut, while his father-in-law, General Michel Aoun announced that he would send an aide to hold final negotiations with the head of Future Movement Sa’ad Hariri to determine, once and for all, whether March 14 would back his bid for the presidency.

According to Al Nahar, Aoun wanted a decision within a maximum period of three weeks. “If Hariri decided not to support Aoun’s nomination,” the daily quoted an anonymous source, “then the Christian chief and his allies [reserved the right to] name the presidential candidate and suggest the name to the March 14 alliance as the Change and Reform bloc [enjoyed a] parliamentary majority,” which was not correct.

Regrettably, Aoun continued to hold on to the mythical parliamentary majority idea because he controlled 29 seats, even if the Lebanese parliament was hopelessly divided.