Bernard Namunane
10 January 2008
Nairobi — The government of Kenya and the Orange Democratic Movement have agreed on a power sharing deal and the possibility of creating the post of prime minister. They, however, differed on whether the holder should be given executive or ceremonial roles.
This emerged as Ghanian President John Kufuor who held separate meetings with President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga shuttled between the two groups.
The developments came in the background of what was understood to be frank talks between President Kibaki on the one hand and US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jandeyi Frazer and US ambassador Michael Rannebagger on the other.
It was understood that the Americans protested at the decision to name half of the members of the government ahead of Friday's meeting and the mediation effort.
Shortly after the meeting, State House issued a statement in which President Kibaki committed himself to achieve a political solution to "the serious problems facing our nation".
He committed himself to engage in constructive and inclusive dialogue.
"I remain committed to dialogue with all parties in order to achieve a political solution to the serious problems facing our nation," the statement read.
"The government must continue to function. My partial Cabinet announced earlier today will ensure that the government runs the country as required by the Constitution."
"When my government is fully constituted as a result of dialogue, it will be broad-based and represent the will of the people of Kenya. It is envisioned that this government will be established as a result of a constructive and inclusive dialogue. Nothing is ruled out in this process."
Mr Kufuor yesterday shuttled between State House and a Nairobi Hotel in a bid to strike a deal between the two sides locked in a stand- off over the contested elections.
He first met President Kibaki at State House at 10.30 am and later met Mr Odinga-between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm- and Pentagon members for two hours before heading back to State House last evening.
While the Presidential Press Services (PPS) released a statement on the meeting between the two Heads of States, ODM leaders refused to issue a brief on their session with the AU chairman at the Inter Continental Hotel arguing that "diplomacy cannot be transacted through the media."
ODM 's press secretary Salim Lone told dozens of reporters who had camped at the hotel for four hours that the issues in question were so delicate to be revealed to the media.
"This is diplomacy and we cannot do diplomacy through the media. The talks are at a very sensitive stage and we cannot reveal what is going on until something tangible has been agreed upon," he said.
At both meetings, President Kufuor urged leaders to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis facing the country warning that Kenya risked reversing the gains it had achieved over a period of 45 years in a few weeks of fighting.
He reportedly made it clear that the international community was focusing on Kenya and expecting its leaders to make sure that peace and stability prevailed.
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