Government of Poland Falls in Confidence Vote : Europe: President might dissolve Parliament. Nation plunges into political chaos.

President Lech Walesa weighed whether to dissolve Poland’s first democratically elected Parliament after a no-confidence vote brought down the government Friday.

Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka’s year-old centrist government fell victim to the political jousting that has plagued Parliament’s 20-odd parties. The vote plunged Poland into political chaos that appeared likely to delay economic reforms and damage its international prestige.

Television showed 223 deputies voted to oust the government and 198 deputies voted against. Twenty-four deputies abstained. The opposition needed half the votes cast plus one to carry the motion.

Walesa could call new elections during the next three to four months, two years before schedule. Or he could accept the government’s resignation and name a new prime minister, possibly giving Suchocka a chance to form another government.

Walesa, who stands to gain political power either way, was noncommittal. “I have a solution for every situation,” he said. Asked what it was, he answered, “Always a better one.”

Walesa was reported to be leaning toward dissolving Parliament, and he sent a formal inquiry on the subject to Parliament leaders. His decision was expected by Monday.

Crucial reforms have bogged down in the bickering Parliament, where there are too many small parties to create a sturdy coalition government. However, Suchocka’s shaky coalition was able to score some victories, notably a plan to privatize many state-owned industries and a tight 1993 budget that won approval from Poland’s international creditors.

Suchocka, 47, was an obscure Parliament deputy when she took office last July as the fifth prime minister since the toppling of the Communists in 1989.

During her tenure, Poland’s gross national product began to grow, making Poland the first post-Communist country to show that success. The first woman to head Poland’s government, she earned the title “Poland’s Thatcher” for standing up to waves of labor unrest.

Suchocka looked stunned as the no-confidence vote was tallied--223 votes in favor, the minimum needed for it to pass. One government backer who overslept and dashed in too late for the vote made the difference.