UPDATE 2-Slovak PM threatens to dissolve ruling coalition

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By Peter Laca

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened on Tuesday to throw a junior partner out of his ruling coalition in a row over land transfers, putting the government's future in doubt.

Fico said he would scrap a coalition agreement with the centre-left Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) if it did not cooperate over the land transfers signed by an HZDS nominee. Fico's office described them as "scandalous".

HZDS's departure would strip the three-party coalition, led by Fico's Smer party, of its parliamentary majority as Slovakia seeks support in the European Union to adopt the euro and the assembly prepares to debate next year's draft budget.

"The situation in the ruling coalition is serious ...," Fico's office said in a statement after Smer's leaders met. "Smer is not interested in being in a ruling coalition that silently tolerated such dealings with land."

Fico gave no further details. Slovak media quoted unnamed Smer sources as saying Fico had demanded the dismissal of Agriculture Minister Miroslav Jurena, a senior HZDS official.

Fico formed the coalition with the HZDS and the Slovak National Party after a parliamentary election in June 2006.

The coalition has often been fractious but his office's comments on Tuesday were the harshest he has made to either of his coalition partners. The next election is due in 2010.

Opinion polls show Smer remains the most popular party with more than 40 percent support in opinion polls, so an early election may not harm Fico. But he could risk opposition parties making gains and then trying to form a coalition without Smer.

Slovakia, a former Communist-ruled state in central Europe, joined the EU in 2004. Fico plans to step up diplomatic efforts to win backing in the EU for Slovakia to enter the euro single-currency zone in 2009. (Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Keywords: SLOVAKIA COALITION/

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]