RULING FIVE PARTIES REACH NO AGREEMENT, TO CONTINUE SITTING TUESDAY

ZAGREB, March 1 (Hina) - A six-hour meeting of presidents of five ruling coalition parties ended Friday night with an agreement that talks should continue on Tuesday morning after additional consultations within party leaderships. Parties of the ruling coalition will have to decide whether it is possible for the government to work in conditions with no stable support. This question demands a serious answer, Prime Minister Ivica Racan said after the meeting. The stability of the government until the end of its mandate depends on whether we find a way out of this situation caused by a decision of the Croatian Social Liberal Party's (HSLS) Executive Council and on reaching a programme agreement, Racan said, assessing that possibilities for overcoming the situation were narrowed if the situation remains the same. Asked whether he accepted HSLS president Drazen Budisa's arguments for withdrawing ministers from the government, Racan said if he was satisfied with them, he would have given a more favourable estimate. The HSLS Executive Council has decided to withdraw three of its ministers from the government, who later on tendered their resignations, while other three, for whom the party did not request to withdraw, also gave in their resignations in disagreement with the Council's decision. (hina) lml