Kenya Opposition Chief Rejects Talks

ELDORET, Kenya (AP) -- Kenya's opposition leader rejected an invitation for talks with the president on Tuesday, describing the meeting as "public relations gimmickry" that would undermine international attempts to end the election standoff that has left more than 500 people dead.

Earlier Tuesday, Raila Odinga's spokesman said Barack Obama phoned the opposition leader to express concerns about the ethnically charged election standoff, intensifying the diplomatic pressure from the United States.

The U.S. Democratic presidential candidate, whose father was Kenyan, "called to express grave concern over the election outcome," the spokesman, Salim Lone, told The Associated Press. Lone said Obama also said he planned to call President Mwai Kibaki.

Odinga previously said he would attend Friday's planned meeting with Kibaki, whose disputed victory in the Dec. 27 elections led to an eruption of violence across the country, if it were part of international mediation efforts. The opposition leader on Tuesday said the president was "trying to deflect attention from and undermine" those attempts.

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.