KENYA:Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga last night offered to serve in an interim government with President Mwai Kibaki on the understanding that there would be a rerun of the disputed elections that have so far led to more than 300 deaths.
The offer came as about 100,000 Kenyans fled their homes to escape the violence and fears were expressed about the potential damage to the country's economy and tourist industry if the rioting and murder continues.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission and the International Federation for Human Rights last night put the death toll as a result of targeted attacks, rioting and the police firing on protesters at more than 300.
"We are ready for negotiations with Mr Kibaki under international auspices," said Mr Odinga through a spokesman. "We are also ready to serve in an interim government for the purpose of preparing for the rerun of the presidential elections under an independent electoral board."
However, asked if he would urge his supporters to calm down, Mr Odinga told the BBC: "I refuse to be asked to give the Kenyan people an anaesthetic so that they can be raped."
The government has meanwhile accused Mr Odinga's party of unleashing "genocide".
The government is claiming that the opposition has targeted members of the Kikuyu tribe, to which Mr Kibaki belongs.
In what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture, Mr Kibaki invited members of the new opposition-dominated parliament to a meeting at State House in Nairobi. No opposition MPs attended.
Vice-president Moody Awori, who lost his parliamentary seat in the election, said he knew that Mr Odinga believed he was the rightful winner in the polls. "But have you given any consideration to the over 50 per cent of Kenyans who voted for President Kibaki and who also believe he won? The country must go on."
There was further confusion about the status of the election result when the head of Kenya's electoral commission, Samuel Kivuitu, said that he did not know whether Mr Kibaki had won.
Mr Kivuitu added he had been put under pressure to announce the election results early.
US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice is to call Mr Kibaki to help forge reconciliation between him and Mr Odinga, the state department said yesterday.
State department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Dr Rice had spoken to Mr Odinga by telephone and that a call to Mr Kibaki was being scheduled. It was not clear when the call to Mr Kibaki would take place. - ( Guardian service; additional reporting Reuters )