This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Tuesday February 12
2008. It was last updated at 13:40 on February 12 2008.
A sign daubed on the wall of a destroyed house in Nairob's Kibera slum.
Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
Kenya's opposition revealed today it had offered to share power with the
president, Mwai Kibaki, in return for fresh elections in 2010.
The offer was made at talks aimed at resolving the crisis that followed
December's disputed poll and which so far has cost 1,000 lives and forced
around 600,000 people to flee their homes.
William Ruto, a senior figure in the opposition Orange Democratic Movement,
said the proposals involved forming a "broad-based government that lasts for
two years".
The offer marks a breakthrough as the opposition had insisted it would only
discuss sharing power if Kibaki admitted rigging the vote.
Ruto said the proposed coalition should reform the constitution and electoral
commission over the next two years and plan to rebuild areas destroyed in the
violence. He also suggested a truth and justice commission to look into land
disputes that have fanned the violence.
Government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo confirmed the president's party had
received the proposals and would debate them "to see if we can reach an
agreement".
He said the current constitution gives the president the power to appoint
opposition members to his cabinet.
Meanwhile, former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, who has been leading the
mediation, called for new laws to resolve the turmoil.
"It will be critical that a legislative agenda be agreed so that we can move
forward expeditiously with the important business of reform," said Annan at a
special parliamentary session.
"You will need to work together to implement this heavy agenda. Your active
involvement across party lines is necessary. We can't afford to fail."
Ruto said last week that a power-sharing deal had been struck.
Annan branded such an announcement as "premature", although he said both
sides had made significant progress towards a deal.
It is unclear where the main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, stands on a
power-sharing compromise.
Speaking to supporters in western Kenya on Saturday, he said Kibaki "must
step down or there must be a re-election - in this I will not be compromised."
On Sunday, he said he was prepared for "giving and taking".
Odinga's supporters have applied their own pressure. In the opposition
leader's western Kenyan base, they have threatened to burn down Odinga's farm
and a family-owned if he returns as anything less than president.
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas
"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"_______________________________________________
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