People inspect an area that was burned down in the Mathare slum, on Friday in Nairobi, Kenya. Kenya's opposition party called Friday for a rerun of the country's disputed election, as political deadlock between the president and his chief rival ground on after a week of spiraling violence.

Nairobi, Kenya ? Kenya’s opposition party demanded new presidential elections Friday as thousands of hungry slum dwellers swamped aid workers after days of deadly riots over the disputed vote cut supplies of groceries and water.

A spokesman for President Mwai Kibaki said there would only be a rerun of the Dec. 27 election if a court orders it. Kenya’s high court, which can annul the vote and force a new one, was largely appointed by Kibaki.

“The government doesn’t reject or accept this. Only the court can call for the rerun of the election,” Alfred Mutua told The Associated Press.

Kibaki won a second term in the election, but international observers say the vote tally was flawed. His rival, Raila Odinga, accused him of stealing the election.

Some 300 people have been killed and 100,000 left homeless in a week of turbulence that took an alarming ethnic twist, pitting other tribes against Kibaki’s Kikuyu people. Shops and homes have been looted and houses and cars set ablaze, bringing chaos to a country considered an island of stability in violence-plagued East Africa.

The country should prepare “for a new election of the president,” said Anyang Nyongo, secretary-general of Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement.

“This is about a democracy and justice,” Nyongo said. “We shall continue to defend and promote the right of Kenyans so that the democratic process should be fulfilled.”

Trouble spread Friday from Nairobi, the capital, to the coastal tourist city of Mombasa, where police hurled tear gas to scatter more than 1,000 protesters.

“Kibaki has stolen our vote!” they yelled. “No Raila, no peace!”

In Nairobi, Odinga supporters vowed that street protests would continue Friday, but none materialized. Instead, armed soldiers with riot shields patrolled.

Fred Nguli, 24, said he was simply too hungry to march.

“As these rallies continue we are suffering because we are all casual laborers,” he said. “You need food for energy to work or even demonstrate.”

South African Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu held talks with Kibaki on Friday and with Odinga on Thursday, and said both men “indicated they are open to the possibilities of negotiations.”

“There is a great deal of hope,” Tutu said.

The leading U.S. diplomat for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, was traveling to Kenya for meetings today, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

“She’s meeting with Mr. Odinga and we have requested a meeting with President Kibaki. I see no reason why that won’t happen,” McCormack told reporters. Frazer would not serve as a mediator, but would try to encourage the leaders to talk, McCormack said.