NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s opposition party suspended talks with the government yesterday and hundreds of angry young opposition backers set fires to protest delays in reaching a power-sharing deal.

But after a series of demands by the opposition, and replies by the government, it appeared late yesterday that the talks might soon resume.

President Kibaki and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, both claim to have won elections in December and are trying to form a joint government to resolve the crisis. More than 1,000 people were killed in weeks of clashes that followed the disputed election, and 300,000 people were displaced.

Messrs. Kibaki and Odinga agreed in February to share power, but they have not worked out exactly how.

In the Kibera slum yesterday, young supporters of the opposition put up burning barricades and threatened more violence if a government that includes Mr. Odinga is not formed quickly.

“No Raila, no peace!” they chanted.

Mr. Odinga told the Associated Press he was not aware of the protests in Kibera, which he represents in Parliament.

“They should hold their horses,” Mr. Odinga said. “Talks have not collapsed, but have just been adjourned.”

The exchange between the two sides began when Mr. Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement, said it had suspended negotiations and would only resume after Mr. Kibaki dissolved the current Cabinet.

Hours later, lawmakers from Mr. Kibaki’s Party of National Unity and allied parties apparently acceded to the demand that the Cabinet be dissolved. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka told journalists the party wanted to go the extra mile to ensure a coalition Cabinet is formed soon.

America and other key Western powers pressured Kenya to resolve the stalemate. They warned that unless a government is formed soon, they would find it “very difficult” to continue funding an emergency program meant to alleviate the post-election turmoil.

“Genuine power sharing is required to restore Kenyans’ faith, and that of the development partners, in Kenya’s government,” said a joint statement signed by embassies including that of the America, the European Union, Britain, and France.

Odinga said Secretary of State Rice had called him and Mr. Kibaki separately late Monday to discuss the deadlock. He offered no details of the conversation.

Also at issue was the size of the Cabinet, which ballooned to a proposed 40 as negotiations progressed, provoking public anger over the number of high-level jobs being created.

Mr. Nyongo said the Orange Democratic Movement wanted to re-negotiate and reduce the size of the proposed Cabinet to 24.