Referendum may become ultimatum for Miller

The political fate of embattled Prime Minister Leszek Miller may depend on whether he can rally a strong "yes" vote in June's EU referendum, poli ticians said yesterday. But he may resign if a weak pro-EU result leaves him no longer able to fend off criticism from within his own party (SLD) or opposition onslaughts launched after his government lost its parliamentary majority this month. "Miller has the situation under control for the time being. He hopes a strong pro-EU result will give him a vote of confidence. Otherwise, he would consider quitting - any prime minister would," said a senior SLD official. If Miller goes, the SLD could struggle to find a new premier, possibly a technocrat backed by President Aleksander Kwasniewski, or could trigger an early general election. Neither outcome would cheer financial markets, which have lost patience with Miller's poor record on reforms. Investors also fret that a parliamentary inquiry into corruption allegations, which have involved members of Miller's party, could further damage his popularity. (Reuters) A.C.