Growing rift in Polish coalition

Warsaw - Poland's minority ruling party, the Freedom Union (UW), said yesterday it would discuss quitting its coalition with …

Warsaw - Poland's minority ruling party, the Freedom Union (UW), said yesterday it would discuss quitting its coalition with the larger Solidarity bloc, which has been rocked by a row over who should run the city of Warsaw.

The struggle for control of the capital is the latest in a series of serious clashes between the governing partners, who have often been at loggerheads over policy and posts.

If the UW quits, Solidarity may struggle on as a minority government until forced to call early elections, otherwise not due until late 2001. The coalition's instability has started to erode confidence in the zloty, already undermined by Poland's high current account deficit.