By Bryson Hull and
Barry Moody
NAIROBI, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition won the post of speaker of parliament on Tuesday, confirming its supremacy in the house and signalling legislative problems for President Mwai Kibaki after his disputed presidential election.
After three rounds of votes, Kenneth Marende, candidate of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), achieved the required simple majority to become speaker in the first session of parliament since the row over the election unleashed a wave of political and ethnic violence that killed more than 600 people.
Marende won 105 votes against 101 for the government candidate, outgoing speaker Francis ole Kaparo. The close vote indicated there could be deadlock in parliament and Kibaki would have difficulty passing essential bills.
In the 222-seat parliament, ODM commands the highest number, 99, after many of Kibaki's former ministers and supporters were swept away in the election.
Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) won only 43 seats but it will try to garner enough support from other parties to overcome ODM obstruction. Tuesday's vote indicated the opposition has the upper hand for now.
In a blow to prospects of ending the deeply damaging crisis, former U.N. head Kofi Annan, due in Nairobi on Tuesday night to head mediation efforts, fell ill with severe flu and delayed his peace mission for a several days, his office said.
The six-hour parliamentary session revealed the deep bitterness engendered by the dispute over Kibaki's re-election.
Despite demands by Kenyans for urgent action to end the crisis, opposition and government legislators shouted and argued for more than an hour before eventually deciding the poll for a new speaker should be secret.
"We went through (national) elections with a secret ballot, and you stole the vote," said senior ODM member William Ruto. The opposition says it was robbed of victory in a rigged Dec. 27 presidential ballot.
Government legislators called for calm, saying the rowdy behaviour was dishonouring those who have died.
"Some people with the title 'Honourable' in this House are planning murder and instituting murder," she said, in a reference to killing of PNU supporters in the Rift Valley.
Roads were closed and riot police ringed the building as Kibaki and opposition leader Raila 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 election.
PROTESTS PLANNED
The parliament sitting began a new period of high tension after a lull in the crisis, with ODM planning to stage a wave of banned street demonstrations from Wednesday.
Until falling sick, Annan was due in Nairobi to head a group of "Eminent Africans" trying to mediate between Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga.
"On advice of doctors he has postponed his mission to Nairobi for a few days," Annan's office said in a statement.
Graca Machel, wife of Nelson Mandela, and former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa are due to join Annan.
Turmoil since the presidential and parliamentary elections has dismayed foreign donors, jeopardised Kenya's democratic credentials and hurt one of Africa's brightest economies.
Western powers, and Kenya's east African neighbours, have complained of irregularities in the presidential vote count.
In the toughest action from the West since the crisis began, the European Union threatened late on Monday to cut aid.
Foreign diplomats want Kibaki, 76, and Odinga, 63 -- a one-time member of his cabinet and former political prisoner -- to meet and agree on a power-sharing arrangement or new vote.
After parliament's opening, the opposition plans three days of nationwide anti-Kibaki protests from midday on Wednesday.
Police have banned the rallies and many expatriates are leaving Kenya in anticipation of trouble. The United Nations' 4,000 staff in Nairobi were on a Phase 2 alert -- of three levels -- meaning only essential staff were at desks. (Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri, Bryson Hull, Katie Nguyen, Nicolo Gnecchi in Nairobi; and Laura MacInnis and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Giles Elgood)
NAIROBI, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition won the post of speaker of parliament on Tuesday, confirming its supremacy in the house and signalling legislative problems for President Mwai Kibaki after his disputed presidential election.
After three rounds of votes, Kenneth Marende, candidate of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), achieved the required simple majority to become speaker in the first session of parliament since the row over the election unleashed a wave of political and ethnic violence that killed more than 600 people.
Marende won 105 votes against 101 for the government candidate, outgoing speaker Francis ole Kaparo. The close vote indicated there could be deadlock in parliament and Kibaki would have difficulty passing essential bills.
In the 222-seat parliament, ODM commands the highest number, 99, after many of Kibaki's former ministers and supporters were swept away in the election.
Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) won only 43 seats but it will try to garner enough support from other parties to overcome ODM obstruction. Tuesday's vote indicated the opposition has the upper hand for now.
In a blow to prospects of ending the deeply damaging crisis, former U.N. head Kofi Annan, due in Nairobi on Tuesday night to head mediation efforts, fell ill with severe flu and delayed his peace mission for a several days, his office said.
The six-hour parliamentary session revealed the deep bitterness engendered by the dispute over Kibaki's re-election.
Despite demands by Kenyans for urgent action to end the crisis, opposition and government legislators shouted and argued for more than an hour before eventually deciding the poll for a new speaker should be secret.
"We went through (national) elections with a secret ballot, and you stole the vote," said senior ODM member William Ruto. The opposition says it was robbed of victory in a rigged Dec. 27 presidential ballot.
Government legislators called for calm, saying the rowdy behaviour was dishonouring those who have died.
"Some people with the title 'Honourable' in this House are planning murder and instituting murder," she said, in a reference to killing of PNU supporters in the Rift Valley.
Roads were closed and riot police ringed the building as Kibaki and opposition leader Raila 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 election.
PROTESTS PLANNED
The parliament sitting began a new period of high tension after a lull in the crisis, with ODM planning to stage a wave of banned street demonstrations from Wednesday.
Until falling sick, Annan was due in Nairobi to head a group of "Eminent Africans" trying to mediate between Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga.
"On advice of doctors he has postponed his mission to Nairobi for a few days," Annan's office said in a statement.
Graca Machel, wife of Nelson Mandela, and former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa are due to join Annan.
Turmoil since the presidential and parliamentary elections has dismayed foreign donors, jeopardised Kenya's democratic credentials and hurt one of Africa's brightest economies.
Western powers, and Kenya's east African neighbours, have complained of irregularities in the presidential vote count.
In the toughest action from the West since the crisis began, the European Union threatened late on Monday to cut aid.
Foreign diplomats want Kibaki, 76, and Odinga, 63 -- a one-time member of his cabinet and former political prisoner -- to meet and agree on a power-sharing arrangement or new vote.
After parliament's opening, the opposition plans three days of nationwide anti-Kibaki protests from midday on Wednesday.
Police have banned the rallies and many expatriates are leaving Kenya in anticipation of trouble. The United Nations' 4,000 staff in Nairobi were on a Phase 2 alert -- of three levels -- meaning only essential staff were at desks. (Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri, Bryson Hull, Katie Nguyen, Nicolo Gnecchi in Nairobi; and Laura MacInnis and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Giles Elgood)
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