The meetings by the top bodies of the People's Party (SLS), New Slovenia (NSi) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) come after PM Janez Janša told coalition partners on Thursday that they let him know by Monday whether they are staying in the coalition or not.

Pundits deem him unlikely to resign or put forward a candidate to replace him as prime minister, especially after he won the confidence vote of his Democratic Party (SDS) last week. The party moreover retorted on Saturday that if the DL "wanted a new government, it should file for a vote of no confidence".

In a joint statement, Janša was backed by the four SDS ministers - Vinko Gorenak (interior), Žiga Turk (education), Zvonko Černač (transport) and Andrej Vizjak (labour) - who rejected speculations as to a potential candidate for a PM-designate to be put by the SDS.

According to SLS leader Radovan Žerjav, the party's main committee will today provide clear answers to the question "how to create the basis for restoring trust in Slovenian politics".

The NSi will examine the situation after party leader Ljudmila Novak in the past few days indicated that the party trusted the PM and would back the government in a confidence vote. She also said that the party would also accept a new PM put forward by the SDS within the given coalition.

The DeSUS will reflect on the situation to establish what option would at the moment be best for the country, according to party leader Karl Erjavec, who believes it is now mainly up to the PM to make a decision about the way forward for his government.

DeSUS secretary-general Ljubo Jasnič called for an early election in a statement on Sunday.

Meanwhile, President Borut Pahor said he expected PM Janša to assess whether his government can continue to successfully perform its job in the aftermath of the report released by the Corruption Prevention Commission, an institution that he said deserved respect.

Pahor indicated that he favoured a solution that would enable the country to avoid an early election, which he said would mean a months' long political deadlock and a delay of necessary reforms.