Annan hopeful of Kenya deal

Kenya’s political rivals today agreed on an independent review of the election at the centre of their dispute.

But the difficult question of sharing power has yet to be resolved, chief mediator and former UN chief Kofi Annan announced.

“Let me assure you that there is real momentum,” Mr Annan said a day after the agreement was signed. “We are at the water’s edge and the last difficult and frightening step, as difficult as it is, will be taken.”

The deal included a call for a new constitution, and marks the first time government officials have agreed to a review of the election results. The progress follows weeks of nationwide violence that has killed more than 1,000 people.

Power sharing, the solution the rival camps have been under pressure to adopt, remained a thorny issue. The preliminary agreement calls for the two sides to draw up a new constitution within a year, which could pave the way for a prime minister’s post or another way to share power.

“We have only one outstanding issue ... the governance structure, which is being actively discussed. Several options have emerged,” said the agreement, adding that the negotiators will now consult President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

The agreement called for an independent review committee “to investigate all aspects of the 2007 presidential election.” The committee will include Kenyan and non-Kenyan experts, start work on March 15 and submit its report within three to six months.

In the agreement, the government also acknowledged that the dispute cannot be resolved in court because the deadline for complaints has expired earlier this year.

Mr Kibaki’s government had insisted the opposition take its complaints to the courts, while Odinga had argued he stole the December vote and should step down.

The 10-point agreement also provides for a comprehensive reform of electoral laws and institutions and the creation of a truth, justice and reconciliation commission.

The report also said politicians must examine how long-standing land grievances, accusations of ethnic favouritism and frustration over poverty and corruption all contributed to the violence.