Fight in parliament, Kenya govt tells opposition

By C. Bryson Hull

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's foreign minister urged the opposition on Wednesday to take their battle off the streets and into parliament, and said the country must undertake electoral reforms to avoid a repeat of the current crisis.

Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula also told Reuters in an interview that President Mwai Kibaki has been committed to dialogue since his inauguration on December 30, and remains so despite assertions by others to the contrary.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga and his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) accused Kibaki of stealing the December 27 vote, and have vowed street protests like those that occurred in trouble spots across Kenya on Wednesday.

Election-related violence has killed more than 600 people and left 250,000 homeless in a crisis that damaged Kenya's economy and democratic reputation.

But Wetangula, who rose to prominence defending suspects in treason trials after a 1982 coup plot that Odinga took part in, said Kenya's institutions were strong enough to bring the east African country out of its current turmoil.

"We expect the strong opposition we have now in parliament to provide critical, effective oversight of the government, to audit government in every way," he said. "What we are left with now is to find ways and means of responsibly working together."

In parliament, ODM has a narrow edge over Kibaki's coalition demonstrated by Tuesday's four-vote victory by the opposition in a vote to choose the speaker.

"You saw us elect a speaker who went through many contested elections but who won narrowly, and the government ... readily accepted the new speaker as validly elected. I would urge my colleagues in ODM to embrace the same spirit," he said.