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DAR ES SALAAM, Jan 10 (AFP) - The Rwandan government and Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebels finally signed a power-sharing protocol at Arusha in northern Tanzania on Saturday night, it was learned here Sunday.
The accord detailed the sharing of the 22 cabinet portfolios between the ruling National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), the RPF and four other parties in the current coalition, as well as the sharing of 70 seats in the legislature during transition to democratic rule.
The signature to the power-sharing protocol was the climax to two months of tough negotiations in Arusha on the sensitive power-sharing issue that aimed to establish a broad-based government to bring peace in the tiny central African nation.
Since the negotiations began in July, they have been disrupted by disagreements on several occasions, but were salvaged by interventions by Tanzania, which chairs the negotiations, the Organisation of African Unity and other international observers.
According to the new power-sharing agreement, Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana's ruling MRND will get six posts in the 22-member cabinet, including the presidency and defence.
The RPF rebels will five portfolios to include deputy premiership and home affairs, the Republican Democratic Movement (MDR) four, including the premiership, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) three, including finance, the Liberal Party (LP) four and the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) one.
It also agreed on a 70-mmember interim National Assembly to be constituted by nominated members from all parties in Rwanda.
Under the agreement, the MRND, RPF, LP, PSD and MDR will each have 11 seats in the legislature, while the PDC will have four. Eleven other parties currently not represented in the government coalition would each nominate one member to the legislature.
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