Christian Democrats may withdraw from coalition government

The Christian Democrats, who are no longer willing to accept Mr. Gross as head of Cabinet, are to decide at their party conference on Wednesday whether the party should leave the government. Their departure would leave the Prime Minister with a minority government. The third party in the Gross government, the Freedom Union, said on Tuesday it would support the government in return for a promise that the Cabinet would propose a proper conflict of interests bill by June 1st. However its deputies say they would re-think their decision if the Gross government had to rely on communist support. The Prime Minister's problems began when he failed to explain how he had paid for his luxury flat in Prague six years ago and when it came to light that his wife had a business partnership with a woman being investigated for alleged fraud.