11.   Prime Minister Filip Dimitrov spent close to a month holding consultations on the reshuffle with key figures within the increasingly fractionalized ruling coalition, the Union of Democratic Forces.

12.   The extension was unsuccessfully opposed in parliament by deputies both to the left and right of the ruling coalition.

13.   THE Irish Republic looks set for an early general election because of a split in the ruling coalition.

14.   Also, the prime minister reportedly is considering rebuilding his ruling coalition without Shas.

15.   Analysts see his popularity and fresh appeal making his party the biggest threat to the ruling coalition.

16.   Analysts and traders had assumed the ruling coalition would force the budget through parliament.

17.   And that, in turn, could trigger the collapse of the present ruling coalition of three political parties, and then a political realignment.

18.   And no Israeli government has broken a taboo against bringing small Arab-dominated parties into ruling coalitions.

19.   And the current ruling coalition is too unstable to push major spending or tax cut plans through the powerful bureaucracy.

20.   As head of the small Gesher party, he controls seven seats in the ruling coalition.