The Wall Street Journal-20080216-Politics - Economics- Kenyan Rivals Agree To Review of Election

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Politics & Economics: Kenyan Rivals Agree To Review of Election

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Rival political leaders have agreed to an independent review of the disputed presidential election in Kenya, which has been plagued by violence since the Dec. 27 vote.

The agreement, reached Friday at a luxury game lodge outside the capital of Nairobi, fell short of the political resolution that the lead mediator, former United Nations head Kofi Annan, had hoped for this week. Still, it represents a softening on both sides, which until recently had maintained irreconcilable positions.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who accuses President Mwai Kibaki of rigging the election, had long called for Mr. Kibaki's resignation. Mr. Kibaki had maintained he was fairly elected and that any complaints about the result should be taken to the courts.

The crisis led to bloody clashes largely between the Luo and Kalenjin ethnic groups, who support Mr. Odinga, a Luo, and the Kikuyu, the tribe of Mr. Kibaki. The fighting has devastated the economy, claimed an estimated 1,000 lives and displaced more than 300,000 people, who have been forced out of their homes by rival ethnic groups.

The talks are slated to resume Tuesday to discuss what remains a sticking point for both sides: a political solution, which is expected to come as some kind of interim power-sharing arrangement. Mr. Annan has said that he believed a "broad coalition" would help the two parties tackle needed constitutional and electoral overhauls, including a policy for dealing with the contentious issue of land ownership, which has been the root of much of the unrest.

Both sides have agreed that a political settlement is necessary, but not on what form it should take.

The review of the election tally is expected to begin in one month, but could take as long as six months to announce its findings. The review won't be a recount of the vote, Mr. Annan said, as those results "might not further Kenyan unity." Instead, a panel of local and international electoral experts will review "all aspects" of the vote and make recommendations on how to improve the electoral process.

Mr. Annan's mediation efforts are seen by many in Kenya as the last hope of finding a political solution to the crisis. Previous efforts by other notables, including former African Union Chairman John Kufuor and a visit from Jendayi Frazer, America's top diplomat for Africa, have failed as the two sides took turns blaming each other for the continuing violence.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was scheduled to meet Monday with Messrs. Annan, Kibaki and Odinga in an effort to bolster the negotiation efforts. In Kenya, a tense calm has replaced much of the fighting as people wait for the results of the talks. The government has promised to help people return to their residences, but most of the displaced, still huddled in camps across the country or hunkered down in safer areas with their relatives, say they won't return to the charred rubble of their homes.