The former Gabon foreign minister was optimistic that the talks will finally bear fruit after both parties agreed on a prime minister's position which has been seen by the Annan team as the short-term solution for peace to prevail.

Marathon meetings between the two parties have been ongoing for the past two days but differences have emerged over the role of a prime minister who will be the second one in Kenya's history after Jomo Kenyatta the founding president abolished the executive prime minister's position he held at independence.

It is seen as a big step towards ending the political crisis that has held the country hostage for nearly two months after a disputed presidential election the ODM party claim to have won only for it to be stolen by Kibaki who was hurriedly sworn in.

The ODM party has urged parliament to be convened next week failure to which they will call for mass action.

This came about after president Mwai Kibaki said during the week that any deal should be in accordance with the current constitution which does not have provision for a prime minister.

A report by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group has warned that if the talks fail there would be a return to war as they have evidence both sides have been arming their supporters.

But in a sign of commitment to the talks, the ruling PNU party has toned down its stance and Okayed a PM post albeit a weak one. The ODM proposes an executive PM who will control government business while the president remains as the head of state.

PNU favors a non-executive PM whose main duties will be to supervise functions of government ministries and departments and who will also be the head of government business in parliament, a position the ODM is against.

Details of the new position are still being fine tuned by the mediation team chaired by Koffi Annan and an informal grouping of two government and two opposition representatives.

Jean Ping's two day visit was to acquaint himself with the work of the Annan team and express solidarity with the Kenyan people.

He was with his new Deputy, Erastus Mwencha and Kenya's foreign minister, Moses Wetangula who is part of the government team in the mediation talks.

See the whole Tip-to-Annan series

See videos on post-election Kenya and on the whole election coverage
See the Kenya Protest - Day One photo gallery
See The Kenya Protest - Day Two photo gallery
See the Nakuru displaced photo gallery
See the burial of violence victim photo gallery


Keywords: kenya_elections