Kenya's parliament reconvened on Tuesday to discuss a power-sharing deal signed by President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to end a deadly post-election crisis.

Kibaki opened parliament last week and asked lawmakers urgently to pass bills to implement the accord that created the post of prime minister and two deputies.

Odinga, whose party holds the majority in the assembly, is to become the country's premier when the bills are enacted into law, with his and Kibaki's party naming one deputy each.

The two signed the landmark agreement on 28 February after weeks of tough negotiations led by former UN chief Kofi Annan.

Kenya's disputed 27 December presidential polls sparked widespread violence that killed some 1500 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of others.

Odinga accused Kibaki of stealing the closely fought vote and called for nationwide protests, which quickly degenerated into tribal revenge killings and became one of the country's worst crises since its 1963 independence.

Kibaki listed four bills that have to be passed: the national accord and reconciliation bill, the constitution of Kenya amendment bill and two more establishing the truth, justice and reconciliation commission and another on ethnic issues.

If the power-sharing bill is passed, a broad cabinet coalition will replace the government announced by Kibaki days after he was controversially declared the winner of the presidential vote.

AFP

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