POLITICAL RIVALS KIBAKI AND ODINGA HAVE AGREED TO FORM A COALITION GOVERNMENT.

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The United States has called for justice, and Frazer reinforced that demand Thursday.
"You can't have a thousand people die, innocent people die, and no one be held accountable. But that process, as this political deal, will be an international one," she said

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Kenya's new power-sharing deal is a critical step toward the legitimate government of the country, the U.S. State Department said Thursday, pledging the United States would keep the parties "on the right track."

Political rivals Kibaki and Odinga have agreed to form a coalition government.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga had demanded the creation of a prime minister position, with real power, and got it in the deal announced Thursday in Nairobi.
Odinga had accused the government of President Mwai Kibaki of stealing last year's presidential elections.

The deal will create a "positive spirit" for Kenya's political leaders to tackle tougher issues, like rewriting the constitution and redistributing land, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer told CNN.

The development was a dramatic turnaround from earlier in the week, when negotiating teams for each side left the talks after only half a day Monday. The agreement may be partly the result of mounting pressure both from within the country and from the international community.

Throughout the month-long negotiation process between Kenya's president and opposition leader, the United States has staunchly backed the mediation efforts of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to Kenya earlier this month to give him a boost and to insist that Kenyan leaders make a genuine compromise with no excuses for a delay.

Frazer said the U.S. voice was "decisive in helping them to realize that the only solution would have to be a compromise." She acknowledged that hardliners on both sides who may be unhappy with the agreement may try to sabotage it, but said that it would be "difficult" to undermine a legal and constitutional document."Clearly in the process of implementation, we can expect there will be some types of disagreement," she said. "These are two parties, and in fact two men, who have disagreed fundamentally."

Frazer said the United States and the rest of the international community will "keep them moving on the right track."

More than 1,000 people have been killed and up to 600,000 displaced in civil strife that began after the disputed December 27 elections.

The United States has called for justice, and Frazer reinforced that demand Thursday.
"You can't have a thousand people die, innocent people die, and no one be held accountable. But that process, as this political deal, will be an international one," she said