Warsaw - Poland's Freedom Union party, led by Finance Minister Leszek Balcerowicz, voted yesterday to quit the Solidarity-led coalition government because it could no longer carry out vital reforms.
Immediately after the nearly unanimous vote, the liberal Freedom Union (UW) said it was ready to return to power provided Solidarity rebels pledged to back pro-reform policies.
Mr Balcerowicz told UW members it had no choice but to withdraw their ministers and suspend the difficult 30-month-long partnership with the trade-union backed Solidarity (AWS) group.
The party's departure plunges Poland into political crisis, leaving AWS Prime Minister, Mr Jerzy Buzek, struggling on as head of a minority administration.
