Polish leaders seek early polls

The prime minister is struggling to shore up his coalition

Polish President Lech Kaczynski says he favours holding early parliamentary elections next spring because of problems in the ruling coalition.

Mr Kaczynski told Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper that the two smaller coalition parties kept causing trouble.

His twin brother, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, also said early elections were likely.

Earlier this month, the prime minister sacked his deputy Andrzej Lepper over a corruption investigation.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski's Law and Justice Party narrowly won parliamentary elections in 2005, but has faced difficulties in implementing its right-wing economic reform programme.

"There is no escaping early elections," President Kaczynski said. "I am in favour of spring." The next elections would normally be held in 2009.