Kenya peace talks hit snag
2008-02-13 14:43
Nairobi - Talks on ending Kenya's post-election turmoil hit a snag on Wednesday after the lead negotiator for President Mwai Kibaki said there was no agreement on a "grand coalition" government.
Chief mediator Kofi Annan put forward the idea of a power-sharing government as a way out of the crisis, sparked by the disputed December presidential election that unleashed a wave of violence in which 1&bnbsp;000 people died.
"My team is alarmed at some serious inaccurate statement made by your excellency (Kofi Annan)," said lead negotiator Martha Karua, the minister for justice and constitutional affairs, in a statement late on Tuesday.
Karua said forming a transitional government to pave the way to fresh elections in two years "has not been discussed or agreed upon" in the mediation talks led by the former United Nations chief.
Power-sharing
The statement confirmed Kibaki's long-held view that he won the presidential vote fairly and should not have to share power with his rival Raila Odinga, who said he was robbed of the presidency.
In an address to parliament, Annan stressed that only a political deal could end the turmoil and suggested it could take the form of a "grand coalition" between the government and the opposition.
"Grand coalitions have served other nations well and these are often formed when a country is in crisis," the former UN secretary-general told the parliament session on Tuesday.
He said: "They come together to try to work out the fundamental issues, make constitutional and other changes required and then eventually organise an election."
Annan had addressed parliament to secure broad support for constitutional and statutory changes that a final settlement might require, but his "grand coalition" proposal angered a group of MPs from Kibaki's party.
1 000+ people die
Political analyst Onweri Angima however downplayed the strong reaction from Kibaki's camp, saying it was "posturing" ahead of the final round and that the talks were not in danger of collapse.
"I am sure that they are very, very reluctant," said Angima.
"But someone of Annan's calibre would not make such a statement, which is so weighty, without having some indication that it is plausible," said Angima, a programme director at the Centre for Multiparty Democracy in Nairobi.
Kenya descended into violence after Kibaki, 76, was officially declared the winner of the December 27 presidential election that the opposition said was rigged. International observers also found flaws in the tallying of ballots.
According to the Kenyan Red Cross, more than 1 000 people had died in rioting, tribal clashes and police raids since the vote and 300 000 people had lost their homes, shattering Kenya's reputation as one of Africa's most stable countries.
Crisis talks were to continue on Wednesday at a secret location as Annan sought to clinch a deal by the end of the week.