Kenyan Opponents Agree to Rule Through a Coalition ; INTERNATIONAL

Kenya’s rival politicians have reached agreement on a coalition government after weeks of bitter negotiations, former UN chief Kofi Annan said yesterday.

Mr Annan gave no immediate details on the deal between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who both claim to have won the December presidential election.

“We have come to an understanding on the coalition government,” Mr Annan said. “All I can say is we have an agreement.”

The election dispute set off street violence that killed more than 1,000.

Mass protests by Kenya’s opposition were called off under pressure from Mr Annan. President Mwai Kibaki offered his first public commitment to creating a prime minister’s post. His opponents have been vociferous in their calls for such a post to be created.

Both sides have been under pressure to share power.

Mr Kibaki issued a statement acknowledging for the first time the office of prime minister and two deputy prime ministers would be created. Negotiators for Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga already had said they agreed to create the posts for the opposition but disagreements remain over how much power they carry.

Mr Annan suspended month-long talks between the parties on Wednesday, saying he would personally appeal to their leaders to strike a deal because talks were “turning around in circles.”

Both Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga claim they won the election, which returned Mr Kibaki for a second five-year term. Observers have said the results were manipulated, making it unclear who won.

Post-election violence has largely subsided in recent weeks.

The latest outburst occurred west of Nairobi on Sunday, when a group of Kikuyu youths attempted to mount a road block.

Police shot one dead and the others fled. Kenyans are worried about the potential for more turmoil in a country once seen as a beacon of stability in Africa.

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