Headed by Gregor Virant, a former minister in the Democrats (SDS)-led government from the 2004-2008 period, the VL has been holding coalition talks with the relative winner of the 4 December election Positive Slovenia (PS) as well as with runner-up SDS.

The negotiators of the party, which refuses to declare itself right- or left-leaning although promoting chiefly liberal economic reform, initialled on Saturday a draft coalition agreement along with the PS, the SocDems and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), some issues were however left open.

At the same time, the VL joined other smaller right-leaning parties in talks on an alternative coalition led by the SDS, and its representatives repeatedly described a coalition with SDS boss Janez Janša as equally viable as one with PM-designate and PS head Zoran Janković.

Head of the VL's negotiating team Janez Šušteršič, who has been tipped as a candidate for finance minister, said after Saturday's talks with Janković that it is now up to the executive body of the VL to "assess whether such a coalition agreement is acceptable, as well whether it is possible to participate in the government".

Šušteršič would not specify what the contentious points were, as he would like to present them to the party first, but he did say that they concerned 10-20% of the coalition agreement.

While DeSUS, the other potential coalition party whose nod to Janković - which is not crucial - has not been fully confirmed , is to take its decision, parliament will vote on Janković becoming PM on Wednesday.