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DAR ES SALAAM, Oct 30 (AFP) - The Rwandan government and rebel Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) were due Friday night to sign a power-sharing accord after almost a month of tough and intensive at Arusha in northern Tanzania town.
The peace talks were adjourned for two weeks earlier on Friday after the two sides failed to agree on modalities for representation in a proposed all-party transitional national assembly and the sharing of cabinet portfolios.
But according to informed sources at the talks, the two sides agreed to sign the part of a "power-sharing protocol", which contains agreements on a weaker presidency, an executive cabinet headed by a prime minister and a judiciary under which the supreme court would be restored.
"It was generally agreed that the two sides should have a break so that they could consult their respective senior officials before coming back to conclude the second part of the power-sharing protocol," senior Tanzanian foreign ministry official at the talks Ami Mpungwe said.
He said that the most difficult part of the negotiations were the constitution of the legislature, with the Rwandan government proposing an expanded national assembly where incumbent members would automatically retain their seats, with the rest being nominated.
The RPF has rejected that and instead proposed that the current assembly be dissolved and fresh nominations made to allow for equal representation among all major political parties in Rwanda.
"Given what the government wants, we find that the national assembly would be outrageously large, with over 600 members," RPF negotiator Patrick Mwazimaka told AFP by telephone from Arusha.
more AFP AFP SEQN-0302
