Kenyan Parliament elects opposition man as Speaker

Kenya's Parliament elected a Speaker from the opposition yesterday, heralding serious legislative problems for President Mwai Kibaki after his disputed re-election last month unleashed a wave of bloodshed.

After three rounds of voting, Kenneth Marende, the candidate of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), achieved the required simple majority in Parliament's first session since more than 600 people were killed in post-election violence.

Mr Marende won 105 votes compared with 101 for the government candidate, outgoing Speaker Francis ole Kaparo. The close ballot raised the prospect of deadlock in Parliament and difficulties for Mr Kibaki in passing essential bills.

In the 222-seat Parliament, the ODM has the highest number, 99, after many of Kibaki's former ministers and supporters lost their seats in the December 27 election.

Mr Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) won only 43 seats but it will try to garner support from other parties to prevent obstruction by the ODM. Yesterday's vote showed the opposition had the upper hand for now. In a new blow to prospects for ending the damaging crisis, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, due in Nairobi yesterday to head mediation efforts, delayed his mission for several days because of illness, his office said.

Foreign powers, like most Kenyans, have shown increasing impatience with the failure of Mr Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to negotiate an end to the crisis.

Yesterday, 13 donor countries, the European Union and the United Nations issued a statement threatening to withdraw direct assistance to the government if its commitment to "good governance, democracy, the rule of law and human rights weakens".

Roads were closed and riot police ringed the building as Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga entered Parliament at the same time, without looking at each other. It was the first time they had been in the same room since the December poll.

The Parliament sitting began a new period of high tension after a lull in the crisis, with the ODM planning to defy a ban and stage three days of demonstrations from today.