Kenya rivals to rewrite constitution

Kenya's feuding parties have agreed to rewrite the constitution within a year in an effort to end post-election violence, but…

Kenya's feuding parties have agreed to rewrite the constitution within a year in an effort to end post-election violence, but have yet to strike a deal on power-sharing, a government negotiator said last night.

Talks were earlier adjourned until Monday, dashing chief mediator Kofi Annan's hopes of a final political settlement this week to resolve a crisis sparked by President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election.

More than 1,000 people have died and 300,000 have been driven from their homes in turmoil that has shattered Kenya's image as one of Africa's most stable democracies.

"Both parties reached agreement on a wide-ranging sphere of issues affecting the country ... among them being to write a new constitution within a year," government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo said.

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But the two sides have yet to strike a deal on the most contentious issue - the structure of the government.

Mr Kilonzo said the parties agreed on "serious constitutional, legal and institutional reforms" in a four-page document, but gave no further details.

Opposition officials declined to comment on the record.

Mr Annan's spokesman also declined to comment. The former UN chief is due to brief the press later today.