ANNAN HOLDS CONFERENCE AS PROMISED

It can now be reported that the only thing standing in the way of a political deal between the rivals is what shape a new broad-based Government should take. An agreement made public by Kofi Annan has shown. PANU and the Orange Democratic Movement(ODM) are close to a deal, chief mediator Kofi Annan has said while reassuring of his commitment to the talks.

Mr Annan said while he had not expected to stay so long in Kenya, he will stay to the end – until a new broad-based Government is in place. He said the rival parties had so far agreed on the need for a political settlement on the crisis.

I) An independent review of the presidential election to start by March 15,2008.
II) A wide range of reforms on the Constitution and in the judiciary, police, Electoral Commission and Parliament.

The former UN chief also announced he had requested for a meeting with Mr.Mwai Kibaki and ODM’s Raila Odinga on Monday so that he can ask them to give their negotiators a clear direction.

Parties also agreed to form independent team to oversee the reforms in the Electoral Commission and will be informed by the outcome of the independent review of the presidential poll, which is to be conducted by a team of local and foreign persons to investigate electoral malpractices.

"We agreed there was no way of determining the outcome of the 2007 presidential election, but the facts have to come out", Mr Annan said on the need for the independent review of the election. The poll probe team once established, will have between three and six months to conclude their work, after which their report should be published within 14 days.

Mr Annan said that while agreeing on the need for a broad based Government, the rival parties had requested for time to consult with their principals on the structure of such a government. The talks will resume in Nairobi on Tuesday.

The prediction is that a deal may be done by end of next week.

The Electoral Commission declared President Kibaki the winner of the December 27 presidential election, a fact that has been disputed by the ODM and international election observers. The announcement provoked riots across the country.

The violence in parts of Coast, Nairobi, Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza provinces has left more than 1,000 people dead and over 600,000 displaced.

Meanwhile, heavy troop presence continue to build in Kisumu and sorrounding arrears.