By Daniel Wallis and Andrew Cawthorne
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's feuding parties have agreed toan independent review of the country's disputed December 27election, but have yet to agree terms for power-sharing, chiefmediator Kofi Annan said on Friday.
Reporting on what he called "considerable" progress duringthis week's talks at a luxury safari lodge, the former U.N.boss also said it was essential for the parties to form a"broad coalition" to push through constitution and electoralreforms.
Annan is trying to bring an immediate end to apost-election crisis which plunged the east African nation intoone of its darkest moments since 1963 independence, with atleast 1,000 killed and 300,000 displaced in politically-tingedviolence.
"The momentum is with us," Annan said. "I will stay as longas it takes to get the process to an irreversible point."
Annan said he would meet President Mwai Kibaki andopposition leader Raila Odinga on Monday before talks resume onTuesday between their parties.
"If they do not come together for the interests of thecountry ... I think it is going to be very difficult forKenya."
Annan had taken negotiators from both sides to a luxurygame resort for three days in the hope of striking a deal toend the immediate political crisis by the end of this week.
But they flew back to the capital Nairobi on Thursdaywithout agreeing on power-sharing, a sticking point seen bydiplomats as essential to averting any more bloodshed.
Annan tried to put a brave face on that.
"It's not unusual for negotiations not to move at the speedyou would want. There are very vital interests involved for allconcerned," he said.
U.S. PRESSURE
Odinga accuses Kibaki of stealing the vote, but Kibaki sayshe won fairly and accuses the opposition of stoking violenceinstead of following Kenya's laws to challenge the result.
The negotiators had agreed that an independent committeewould review "all aspects" of the election, Annan said.
It should start its work within a month, he added, and thenreport its findings within 3-6 months.
The opposition wants to draft a new constitution, sharepower in the government and hold a new election within twoyears. The government wants constitutional and electoral lawchanges, but only applicable to the next election, due in 2012.
The violence in Kenya has laid bare disputes over power,wealth and land. Ethnic bloodshed, violent protests and imagesof forlorn refugees have dented Kenya's reputation as one ofthe continent's most stable, prosperous democracies and hurtits booming economy.
U.S. President George W. Bush, due to start a five-nationAfrica tour on Saturday, has dispatched Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice to throw her diplomatic weight behind theAnnan initiative. Bush himself will not come to Kenya.
Rice was due to meet Kibaki, Annan, Odinga and others inKenya on Monday.
Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement said in a statementRice's visit was "a sign of the growing U.S. and internationalawareness that this grave crisis is far from over and thatinternational pressure is essential to ensure" Annan succeeds.
(Additional reporting by Bryson Hull, Jack Kimball)
(For special coverage from Reuters on Kenya's crisis see:
http://africa.reuters.com/elections/kenya/)
(Additional reporting by Jack Kimball; Editing by DanielWallis)
