Polish PM says coalition is in trouble -daily

WARSAW, Sep 19 (Reuters) Poland's coalition is in trouble due to differences over next year's budget and plans to send more troops to Afghanistan, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski was quoted as saying today.

Tensions within the conservatives-led government have been rising over the past few weeks as parties started campaigning for local government elections due in mid-November.

The leftist Self-Defence, a junior coalition partner, has repeatedly demanded to raise spending in next year's budget and argued Poland could not afford costly military commitments.

''The situation in the coalition resembles more a stabilisation pact. One cannot rule further like that.

Undoubtedly, the coalition is in trouble,'' Kaczynski told daily Zycie Warszawy in an interview.

Zycie Warszawy, which published only part of the interview that is due to be released in full tomorrow, wrote Kaczynski's comments were a reaction to media reports about a secret meeting between leaders of the Self-Defence and the biggest opposition party, the Civic Platform, over the weekend.

Both Self-Defence leader Andrzej Lepper and Civic Platform's head Donald Tusk denied they met, but according to local press, Lepper offered to vote against the government's 2007 budget draft to trigger early general elections.

''It is a show of unprecedented hypocrisy and cynicism, both by the Platform and the Self-Defence. It looks like Lepper wants early polls and then he wants to rule with Tusk. Good luck!'' Kaczynski said.

Kaczynski also criticised Self-Defence's plans to file a parliamentary motion to reverse the defence ministry's decision to send 1,000 troops to Afghanistan next February.

''It is a blow not only to the coalition, but also to Poland's national interest,'' Kaczynski said.

Even though there is little chance for the motion to be passed and the parliament has no formal right to block military commitments, analysts said it would further strain relations within the coalition government.

Yesterday, Lepper told reporters in Brussels he believed holding early elections was the best way out of the crisis within the ruling coalition.

Reuters LL DS1256