Decision on coalition or minority government expected on Saturday

The question of whether the incoming government will be a coalition or a minority government will be decided on Saturday. The decision will be made by the national councils of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and Labor Union (UP) and the main council of the Polish Peasants Party (PSL). Though Marek Belka, the SLD deputy earmarked for the post of Finance Minister, will hold talks with Civic Platform (PO), Samoobrona and PSL on how to swell public finances, it is the PSL which is most likely to establish a coalition with SLD-UP. Commenting on the issue, Belka said that his party would prefer a coalition government based on tough and loyal cooperation. However, president Aleksander Kwasniewski, currently in Belgium, announced that he already knows the make-up of the new government but would not provide any details whilst abroad. Meanwhile, representatives of the domestic business elite yesterday addressed politicians, urging them to take all measures necessary to improve the domestic economic situation - namely to liquidate the budget deficit, to improve public finances and to regain fast economic growth. The representatives are convinced that a coalition between SLD-UP and PO would be best placed to achieve these goals. (Rzeczpospolita, A3, B2) P.J.