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M. Continuo

Row flares over Kenya coalition on eve of debate


    NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's fragile power-sharing deal to end a bloody post-election crisis suffered a setback on Monday as a row broke out over the role of prime minister in the proposed coalition government.

    President Mwai Kibaki and his rival Raila Odinga signed thepact last month to end political turmoil which left at least1,000 people dead and cost Kenya its reputation as one ofAfrica's most stable democracies.

    The landmark deal will bring Odinga into the government bycreating a prime minister's post for him.

    In a reminder of the tense ties between the two parties,Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rejected on Monday astatement outlining the structure of the coalition by the headof the civil service, Francis Muthaura.

    "The statement is causing alarm. It is mischievous. Itcould pose a threat to the accord," ODM spokesman Salim Lonesaid.

    Parliament is due to meet on Tuesday to debate legislationto pass the deal into law and amend Kenya's constitution tomake the agreement legal.

    Critics said Muthaura's statement appeared to downgrade theprime minister's role by saying the vice-president would remainthe principal assistant of the president.

    "The interpretation of the accord should come out of ajoint meeting between the two parties that signed it," Lonesaid.

    "This is the view of the head of the civil service. We donot take this as the position of the president," he added.

    (Reporting by Guled Mohamed and Katie Nguyen)

    (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say onthe top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ )