Leaders of the Samoobrona (Self-Defense) party had threatened to pull out of the governing coalition as retribution for Kaczynski's decision Monday to dismiss party head Andrzej Lepper from his posts of deputy premier and agriculture minister in the wake of a corruption scandal.

But Samoobrona's parliamentary group, which hold 46 seats crucial to Kaczynski's majority, gave the prime minister its support Tuesday -- though the part did set a number of conditions.

"Samoobrona is staying in the coalition, conditionally, as a parliamentary group," Lepper told reporters on Tuesday.

Slim conservative majority

Kaczynski had repeatedly warned that Poland would face snap elections if Samoobrona pulled out of the coalition, which is steered by Kaczynski's Law and Justice (PiS) party as well as the far-right League of Polish Families (LPR).

With all the coalition parties trailing in opinion polls, Kaczynski had urged Samoobrona to "think again" before withdrawing ist support. The prime minister also suggested the party could remain in the administration without Lepper.

With the support of the two junior members, Kaczynski's ruling coalition controls just 224 seats in Poland's 460-member parliament -- PiS has 149 seats, Samoobrona 46 and the LPR 29.

Samoobrona demands evidence

Although Lepper has said he will not take up his old position as head of the agriculture ministry, Samoobrona's other two ministers will remain in the governing cabinet.

Lepper was fired after Poland's anti-corruption police raided the agriculture ministry and arrested one of his aides and another individual in what Kaczynski said involved "bribes worth millions."

Lepper who has said he was not involved in any illegal activities, has said his party will, in fact, leave the coalition if he did not receive the alleged evidence against him by the end of the week.

The rural-based Samoobrona and the LPR were brought into the cabinet in May 2006 to shore up the minority PiS government, which needed the support after a slim victory at the polls in September 2005.