Kenya rivals reach deal on coalition

NAIROBI, KENYA —  Kenya’s presidential rivals agreed Thursday to share power in a coalition government aimed at ending postelection chaos that has killed 1,000 people and brought this once-promising East African nation to the brink of political and economic collapse.

Under the terms of a deal signed by President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, the men will divide Cabinet posts 50-50 and amend the constitution to create the office of prime minister for Odinga, who will share power with the president.

The agreement marks a significant step toward resolving Kenya’s political crisis and alleviates fear that failed negotiations would trigger more violence. The news brought praise from the United States and other Western governments, which had come to count on Kenya as an economic partner and source of regional stability.

But many also said they would have to wait and see whether the rivals were genuinely committed and willing to work together. They noted that Kenya still faces sizable challenges, including 350,000 displaced people, a shattered economy and heightened ethnic tensions.

“They are solving their political problems, but not our problems yet,” said Alfonse Mutuku, 24, who is living in a camp near Limuru, north of Nairobi.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is leading the mediation effort, said the deal was the only way to break Kenya’s stalemate.

“Compromise was necessary for the survival of this country,” he said. But he cautioned that the work must continue to resolve the nation’s social and humanitarian issues. “The journey is far from over. In fact, it is only beginning.”

After the disputed Dec. 27 presidential election that both Kibaki and Odinga claimed to have won, Kenya erupted into weeks of rioting and ethnic violence as long-simmering disputes over land and power boiled over. In one of the most gruesome attacks, at least 17 people seeking shelter in a Rift Valley church were burned alive Jan. 1

Underscoring tensions that still grip the country, moments after the signing ceremony was completed in Nairobi, the capital, police fired tear gas at Odinga supporters celebrating in the streets.

The compromise marks a turnaround from three days ago, when Annan disbanded bickering negotiating teams and said the talks had reached an impasse. With help from visiting Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Annan began direct discussions with Kibaki and Odinga on Wednesday.

Key details of the coalition government have yet to be determined, including how the president and prime minister will share powers, how Cabinet posts will be divided, how disputes will be resolved and what happens if the coalition falls apart. Parliament is scheduled to convene Thursday to begin revising the constitution.

In the final hours of negotiation, Kibaki made significant concessions: agreeing to give Odinga authority to “coordinate and supervise” the government and to a constitutional amendment that a day earlier he had ruled out.

His change of heart came amid intense pressure from the United States and others in the international community, who voiced increasingly strong warnings about possible sanctions and isolation for those perceived to be blocking a deal.

In addition, neighboring countries, including Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, pushed Kibaki to settle because their economies rely heavily on Kenyan ports and have suffered during the unrest.

After signing the agreement, Kibaki called upon Kenyans to put the ethnic clashes of the last two months behind them and live together in peace.

“Kenya has room for all of us,” he said.

Public reaction to the deal varied, often depending upon ethnicity and political persuasion.

In Odinga strongholds, including the western city of Kisumu and the Nairobi slum of Kibera, crowds danced and sang in the streets. “Raila is the man,” shouted supporters in downtown Nairobi.

The mood was darker in a camp north of Nairobi, where displaced Kikuyus, of the same tribe as Kibaki, gathered under a plastic tarp to watch the signing ceremony in silence on a television donated by a local church. None of the nearly 200 people living in tents said they expected it would be safe enough to return home anytime soon and some blamed Kibaki for giving away too much power.

“In my opinion, I think Kibaki was very soft,” said Steven Nderito, a pastor from the Rift Valley who was chased from his home by members of rival tribes. “I don’t see how they can work together. I think Kibaki is going to rethink this and may change his mind next week.”

Public support for the agreement will be crucial to its success, Annan said.

Experts said Kibaki is facing growing criticism from his supporters. Hard-liners in his administration bitterly opposed making concessions, whereas displaced Kikuyus complain that the president has done little to assist them.

“He’s been taken hostage, not just by hard-liners, but by the Kikuyu community, who feel that since he failed to protect them in the first place, now the least he can do is keep power,” said Ngunyi Mutahi, a Nairobi political analyst.

For Odinga, who has worked a lifetime as an opposition leader and at times found himself imprisoned in government torture chambers, the deal ends a long struggle for political power.

Though he originally demanded that Kibaki resign and hold new elections, Odinga reached out Thursday, referring to Kibaki for the first time since Dec. 27 as “president” and “my countryman.”

He said the election crisis had provided an opportunity to push for government reforms.

“The crisis has taught Kenyans a serious lesson that has helped form a foundation for a united country,” he said.

Annan said he would begin today working on the final phase of his mediation effort, addressing some of the underlying issues, such as land disputes, economic marginalization and ethnic discrimination.

Government leaders are preparing to launch a truth and reconciliation commission, similar to one set up after the Rwanda genocide.

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edmund.sanders@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Nairobi accord

Key points of the Kenyan power-sharing deal:

The constitution will be amended to create the post of prime minister, an opposition demand.

The prime minister will have the power to “coordinate and supervise” government affairs -- stronger authority than President Mwai Kibaki had wanted to give. Still, the characterization leaves unclear whether the prime minister will have executive authority that cannot be overruled by the president.

Parliament will convene in one week to pass the agreement into law.

There will be two deputy prime ministers, one nominated by each member of the coalition.

Cabinet seats will be divided equally between the two blocs.

Source: Associated Press