Political rivals in Kenya agree to write a new constitution

NAIROBI - Rival factions in Kenya's political crisis reportedly agreed yesterday to write a new constitution, a move that could allow for power-sharing as part of a deal aimed at ending weeks of violence in this East African country.

The announcement of an agreement occurred as President Bush said he was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Kenya to demand an immediate halt to bloodshed that has killed more than 1,000 people since the disputed Dec. 27 presidential election.

Incumbent Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner, but opposition groups said the results were rigged. The election fight blew up into a broader conflict among Kenya's many ethnic groups, and international pressure has mounted for the two sides to find a way to work together.

A spokesman for former UN chief Kofi Annan, who has been mediating in closed talks between the government and opposition, announced the parties signed off on a deal yesterday but offered no details. Annan scheduled a news conference for today, and the talks were recessed until Monday.

A few hours later, government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo said part of the deal was to revise Kenya's constitution within a year.

"The two parties agreed to write a new constitution," he told the Associated Press. "A new constitution is required."

Kilonzo did not divulge any other aspects of the agreement, which was thought likely to be just a preliminary step toward further negotiations.

An opposition member with close ties to the negotiations confirmed there was a deal on writing a new charter, but he said it was "trivial" because the government had not formally agreed to any changes in the government.

"The talks deadlocked over the discussion of government structure," said the politician, who agreed to discuss the deal only if not quoted by name, since the two sides agreed to observe a media blackout during the negotiations.

Kenya's current constitution was drawn up in the lead-up to independence from Britain in 1963 and has been revised repeatedly, giving the president sweeping powers.

Kenyans have said they want a constitution that would reform how their country is run following decades of abuses by successive governments.

A new constitution could allow for power-sharing or a prime minister's post, the solution that Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga have been pressed to adopt as a way to resolve their dispute.

Odinga, who served as a Cabinet minister in Kibaki's administration for two years before being booted out in December 2005, fell out with the president over a previous attempt at constitutional reform. Odinga had led a drive opposing a draft charter backed by Kibaki.

Opponents said the proposal that Kibaki supported ignored agreements during a constitutional conference designed to check presidential powers, in part by creating a powerful prime minister. Kibaki argued the draft did cut presidential powers.