UPDATE 1-Slovak govt party says PM wants to end coalition

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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told his ruling partner, the centrist HZDS party, that he does not want to maintain the ruling coalition, HZDS chief Vladimir Meciar said on Wednesday.

"The prime minister has called a coalition meeting. At the meeting he told us he is not willing to continue the coalition," Meciar told reporters after leaving the session.

A break-up of the coalition could strip Fico's cabinet of a parliamentary majority at a time when the central European country tries to step up efforts to join the euro currency zone in 2009.

But the chief of another government faction said he expected most of the 16 deputies HZDS has in parliament to stay in the coalition, maintaining a parliamentary majority.

"I personally think that most of HZDS (deputies) will stay in the coalition... the make-up may be different but there will be 76 votes (out of 150 in parliament) for the budget," Jan Slota of the far-right SNS party said.

He said he did not expect the government to fall.

The parliament is expected to vote on the budget by the end of this week.

If Fico loses a majority, it would expose him in any no-confidence motion. If the government falls, talks would start on forming a new cabinet or on early election.

Fico's Smer party has topped opinion polls with over 40 percent support. (Reporting by Peter Laca, writing Jan Lopatka, editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)

Keywords: SLOVAKIA COALITION/CRISIS

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]