WORLD / Africa |
Kenya talks to resume Monday(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-23 15:27 NAIROBI - Mediators trying to resolve Kenya's political deadlock adjourned talks on Friday night without clinching a political settlement on the post of prime minister which is one of the options for a political settlement. Chief mediator Kofi Annan said while some progress had been made during Friday's discussions on governance structure, the parties felt there were still some issues on which they need to consult their principals. "I have asked them to consult over the weekend and return on Monday prepared to conclude an agreement," the former UN chief said in a statement released last night. He reminded the negotiators of the urgency of the talks and the high expectations of the people of Kenya, the East African region and the world. Annan urged both President Mwai Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga to give their negotiators clear instructions so that talks can move swiftly to conclusion when talks resume Monday. "Kenyans have suffered greatly over the past eight weeks and they deserve to see clear movement towards peace and stability," he said. Negotiators for the Kenyan government and opposition remained tight-lipped as they tried to hammer out an agreement on how much power to invest in the proposed post of prime minister. The opposition wanted the prime minister to be head-of-government and wield considerable powers over the executive branch. But government negotiators said they saw the post as non- executive with what were termed some responsibilities. A technical team was working on what constitutional and legal changes would be needed to create the post. The government and the opposition negotiators concurred with Annan's sentiments that a settlement to the political stalemate was urgently needed. Opposition negotiator William Ruto however called for patience saying some issues being discussed were sensitive. He was optimistic though that a power sharing deal between them and government would be outlined next week. "From Monday give us two or three days and we will be through," Ruto told journalists. The legal working group that had been meeting since Wednesday was expected to reach a deal by end of Friday's talks. Reports indicated that the committee has agreed on principle to create a Prime Minister's post though his functions and mandate had not been defined. The legal committee had however started off late on Friday, because the government side asked for a time out to brief President Mwai Kibaki on the progress of the talks. The post of premier is likely to be held by opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose party demands that the post include executive powers. The government favors "a non-executive prime minister but with some substantial meaningful responsibilities," government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo said. Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said the delays were because " new things keep coming up." "It's never over till it's over," he said. |
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