Kenya approves power-sharing deal

Kenya approves power-sharing deal

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23400797-23109,00.html

Article from: Agence France-Presse

By Jean-Marc Mojon in Nairobi

March 19, 2008 03:35am

KENYA'S parliament has unanimously approved a key constitutional amendment, the first of two laws needed to enact a February power-sharing deal that ended deadly post-election unrest.

The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill needed a two-thirds majority and was approved today by all of the 200 sitting MPs in second reading, speaker Kenneth Marende announced in a special session broadcast live on television.

The vote is a key step in the implementation of the power-sharing pact reached by President Mwai Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga on February 28 after weeks of negotiations.

The deal has raised hopes of a permanent end to the violence that erupted when Mr Kibaki's re-election in the December 27 polls was challenged by his rival Mr Odinga over accusations of widespread rigging.

Parliament members are expected to pass a second key piece of legislation - the National Accord and Reconciliation Bill - either later today or tomorrow.

The Bill states that the governing coalition formed by the ODM and Mr Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) will be dissolved if any one of the parties decides to withdraw.

It does not however provide for new elections to be held if the coalition is broken.

The Bill says that the prime minister will "have authority to co-ordinate and supervise the execution of the functions and affairs of the government."

The interpretation of that particular clause is expected to be hotly debated.

Both Bills will then require the formality of presidential assent for them to become law at which point the power-sharing deal will be formally enacted.

An unprecedented cycle of protests, police raids, tribal clashes and revenge killings left at least 1500 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced following the December elections, dealing a huge blow to East Africa's largest economy.