Mass protests called off in Kenya

Earlier opposition protests have turned violent

Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga has called off Thursday's mass protests after meeting ex-UN head Kofi Annan.

Mr Annan has also met President Mwai Kibaki in a bid to salvage suspended talks on Tuesday after he said the negotiations had become acrimonious.

Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had threatened to hold rallies if a deal to end the post-election crisis was not reached by then.

More than 1,000 people have died in political violence since the election.

"We... are committed to the talks. We have postponed until further notice any actions planned for tomorrow," Mr Odinga told reporters in the capital, Nairobi, after meeting Mr Annan.

Talks between the government and opposition on securing a power-sharing deal have stalled.

Mr Kibaki claimed victory in the 27 December election, but European Union observers have said the presidential poll was flawed.

Hopes dashed

Mr Annan, who has been in Kenya for more than a month trying to reach a settlement, has also met the African Union head, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who is in the country to help save negotiations.

The leaders have to assume their responsibilities and become directly engaged in these talks Kofi Annan Q&A: Kenya poll violence How talks halted

"The leaders have to assume their responsibilities and become directly engaged in these talks," Mr Annan said earlier.

Both sides had agreed last week to create the post of prime minister, which would be taken by Mr Odinga, leading to hopes that a final deal was imminent.

However, they still needed to finalise which powers he would have and the government then said the president should appoint the prime minister, which would not be an executive post.

After meeting Mr Annan, Mr Kibaki said publicly that he would create the post of prime minister.

Although a statement from his office cautioned against piecemeal amendments to the constitution and instead recommended that changes be undertaken within the next year.

"The coalition agreement should be used to address the appointment and security of the offices of the members of the coalition partners in government," the statement read.

Mr Odinga, for his part, insisted the ODM were only interested in a transitional coalition that would preside over constitutional reforms.

'Political stick'

As well as how to divide powers between a prime minister and a president, the rivals are also split on sharing cabinet positions and the possibility of a new election if the coalition collapses.

Kenyan political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi says despite the confidence being displayed by Mr Annan, the talks may soon collapse.

"Mr Annan does not have a political stick to wield on the head Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga for them to agree and therefore he will continue to get rebellions from the negotiation teams," Mr Ngunyi told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

"The international community has an option to arm-twist Mr Kibaki by imposing negative sanctions against him that will push him to settle for the interim government, that may work," he said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula criticised comments by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who said that bilateral relations between the US and Kenya could suffer unless progress was made in negotiations.

He said Kenya's international friends were welcome to support the dialogue process but not to impose solutions to the conflict.