Polish Deputy Prime Minister dismissed

9 Jul, 2007 18:17 / Updated 17 years ago

Poland may be forced to hold early elections after the country's Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski sacked his deputy leader on Monday.

The Deputy Premier, Andrzej Lepper, was dismissed after his name surfaced in a corruption case.    Lepper says he is innocent and his coalition party, Self Defence, have threatened to quit the government following the sacking. Prime Minister Kaczynski said if that happens, elections would have to be held in the autumn or early next year.