Kenya rivals ready to discuss power-sharing

By Daniel Wallis and Joseph Sudah

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's rival parties geared up on Sunday to thrash out a power-sharing agreement to end a deadly crisis over President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election.

Both sides gave ground last week at talks mediated by former U.N. boss Kofi Annan, paving the way for a deal to stop turmoil that has killed more than 1,000 and uprooted 300,000 more.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga accuses Kibaki of rigging the Dec. 27 poll, triggering ethnic violence that shattered Kenya's image as a peaceful business, tourism and transport hub.

"We are advocating for power-sharing, if need be," Japhet Kareke, a member of parliament from Kibaki's coalition, told reporters. "The president and honourable Raila are talking. For the sake of peace, let them sit down and agree the way forward."

When negotiations resume on Monday, both sides will discuss what form power-sharing might take over a two- to three-year period. Then Annan's mediation team is due to brief legislators on Tuesday during a special session of parliament.

Speaking outside a Nairobi cathedral on Sunday, Odinga said his party supported a political settlement, but gave no details: "We will not carry out mediation talks through the media."

His Orange Democratic Movement is no longer calling on Kibaki to step down, sources close to the talks say, while Kibaki's Party of National Unity has dropped its demand that the opposition take any grievances over the polls to court.

For his part, Annan has sounded optimistic since the apparent breakthrough in the discussions on Friday, saying he now expects delegates to reach a deal within days.