KENYA:Kenya's president and future prime minister said yesterday they had made "substantial progress" at talks to end an impasse over a power-sharing cabinet and expected to clinch a deal today.
"We have had a lengthy consultation throughout the day on the formation of a grand coalition government. In this regard we have made substantial progress," president Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga said in a joint statement.
The composition of the cabinet was the key element of a deal brokered in February to end the east African nation's bloodiest political crisis, a post-election spasm of rioting and ethnic slaughter that killed at least 1,200 people and displaced 300,000.
The two leaders have been under heavy local and international pressure to break a month-long deadlock over the cabinet. On Thursday they said they had agreed on how to share 40 ministerial jobs and pledged to name the cabinet yesterday.
Earlier, an opposition spokesman said Mr Odinga would make no more concessions.
Mr Kibaki had in early January named a half-cabinet that is still in place and the opposition rejected his first offer to take the remaining ministries in a unity government.
Anger over Mr Kibaki's contested victory eroded Kenya's image as a stable, prosperous country and hurt its economy, currency and stock market. The shilling currency has rebounded to levels not seen since the disputed December 27th vote in anticipation of political peace.
- (Reuters)