Kenya opposition halts talks as protests flare

By Katie Nguyen and Daniel Wallis

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition suspended talks with President Mwai Kibaki's party on Tuesday and police fired tear gas to scatter opposition supporters protesting against deepening deadlock over a power-sharing cabinet.

Kibaki and rival Raila Odinga delayed naming a cabinet on Monday after disagreeing over how to share out ministries and traded blame over who was responsible for the deadlock.

The cabinet is central to a deal on ending Kenya's post-election crisis.

Anyang' Nyong'o, secretary-general of Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), said talks would be suspended until Kibaki's party "fully recognizes the 50/50 power-sharing arrangement and the principle of portfolio balance".

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua condemned the walkout and accused ODM of playing games.

"They are the ones who do not want the coalition. How can they walk out of talks and make demands? Demands are made at the negotiating table," he said.

Nairobi's sprawling Kibera slum was convulsed by the biggest protests since both sides signed a power-sharing deal in February to end turmoil that killed at least 1,200 people after Kibaki's disputed re-election in December.

In a sign of mounting international concern, development partners including Britain, the United States, the World Bank and the United Nations said genuine power sharing was required to restore Kenyans' faith in the government.