FACTBOX: What next for Kenya's power-sharing deal

Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:07pm EST
 
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(Reuters) - Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga on Thursday signed an agreement to share power via cabinet posts and a new prime minister's job, after talks to end a post-election crisis.

Here are some facts about the deal and what could happen next:

* The first thing that has to happen is Kenya's parliament must meet and ratify the agreement with the necessary laws and constitutional amendment. Kibaki ordered the legislature to re-open on March 6 to begin that work.

Though Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement party has the most members, Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) and affiliate parties have almost as many seats taken together. Analysts say both sides will have to work hard to get their supporters into line.

* A new prime minister's post will be created and Odinga, as leader of the party with the most seats in parliament, will take it. The prime minister will have "the authority to coordinate and supervise the execution of the functions and affairs of the government", the deal says, but it was not immediately clear exactly what that means.

* ODM and Kibaki's side will each nominate one deputy prime minister. Under the deal, the prime minister and the deputies can only be removed by a vote of no confidence by parliament.

* When the cabinet is formed, it must reflect the parties' strength in parliament and the apportionment of key portfolios must be balanced, the deal says. Political wrangling and cutthroat deal-making have long been a feature of Kenyan politics, and most Kenyans would be surprised if the cabinet naming process went ahead without acrimony and bruised egos.

* The deal says the coalition can be broken three ways -- if parliament is dissolved, the parties agree to it in writing or one party withdraws. Kibaki still has the power to dissolve parliament at his discretion and it was not clear what -- if any -- penalty exists should one side or the other decide to pull out. Earlier, the opposition had demanded a new election be called if that happened, but the pact makes no mention of that.

(Writing by Bryson Hull, Editing by Wangui Kanina)

 

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