By Duncan Miriri
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's rival political parties agreedon a roadmap for reform of the constitution on Tuesday, movingcloser towards an agreement on divisive issues exposed by thecountry's post-election crisis.
"It augurs well for future cooperation within a coalitiongovernment," said chief mediator Oluyemi Adeniji, a formerNigerian foreign minister.
More than 1,000 people were killed and 300,000 driven fromtheir homes in the violence that followed Kibaki's disputedre-election in a December 27 vote.
The political violence has subsided and under last week'spower-sharing agreement, opposition leader Raila Odinga willtake up the newly created post of prime minister.
Negotiators representing President Mwai Kibaki and Odingahave been thrashing out longer-term issues thrown up by thecrisis, Kenya's worst since independence from Britain in 1963.
The negotiators agreed to set up a truth, justice andreconciliation commission, a panel of inquiry into thepost-election violence, and an independent review of theelection, which Odinga accused Kibaki of rigging.
"The parties also agreed on a process and roadmap forcomprehensive constitutional reform," a statement from themediators said, adding that the talks would resume nextTuesday.
Kenyans have been clamouring for a new constitution foryears as the present document is seen as concentrating too muchpower in the hands of the president.
"I think more or less we have finished on agenda itemnumber four," opposition negotiator William Ruto said,referring to the long-term issues under discussion.
'ONE TEAM'
"We want to work as one team to unite Kenya. We want toheal those wounds that emerged after the elections," Odingatold reporters after meeting Kibaki for the first time sincethey signed their power-sharing pact five days ago.
Under the pact, parliament is due to pass a constitutionalamendment to allow Odinga to become prime minister.
Odinga said his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) woulddiscuss how to carve up the cabinet with Kibaki's Party ofNational Unity after Thursday's parliamentary session.
Kibaki's office issued a statement saying the two men hadagreed to ensure the deal would be implemented fully.
"The president and the ODM leader also agreed to worktogether towards uniting all Kenyans and accelerating thehealing process by holding meetings with different communitieswith a view to ensuring that wananchi (the people) livetogether peacefully," the statement added.
Dorothy Angote, Kenya's vice minister for justice, said theagreement between Kibaki and Odinga was a "triumph for dialogueand diplomacy and also for peace and reconciliation".
Angote was addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council whose47 member states are meeting in Geneva to examine abusesworldwide.
A government-funded rights group called on Kibaki andOdinga to visit Kenya's worst-affected areas together to fosternational reconciliation after clashes that shattered thecountry's image as a stable haven in a conflict-ridden region.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) alsosaid it would carry out an investigation into the violence,with its findings due to be released later this month.
Despite the progress made, analysts say there is still muchmore to be done to resolve deep grievances over thedistribution of land, wealth and power that fuelled thepost-election unrest.
(Additional reporting by Jack Kimball, Lisa Ntungacimpayeand Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Giles Elgood andSami Aboudi)
(To have your say on the breakthrough agreement or to readwhat others have to say, visit Reuters Africa's talking pointathttp://blogs.reuters.com/africa/2008/02/28/kenya-rivals-agree-peace-deal-how-will-it-be-secured/ )