Attorneys say Cuban boy's father is an unfit parent

WASHINGTON - With a deadline looming and legal options narrowing, relatives of Elian Gonzalez yesterday pressed arguments that the boy's father is unfit as they battled to retain custody of the 6-year-old.

White House officials responded that there is no evidence of the sort, and the father's lawyer said the "outrageous" allegations were a sign the Miami relatives are getting desperate. "There is no doubt this father loves his boy very, very much," said Gregory Craig, who represents Juan Miguel Gonzalez.

Three of the relatives' attorneys, appearing separately on three Sunday talk shows, suggested that the father is not fit to raise Elian. Attorney Manny Diaz said the legal team has submitted evidence to a federal court and to the government, although he declined to detail it yesterday.

"One of the lawyers on our team met with the attorney general at the beginning of this process and raised those types of concerns," Diaz said on ABC's ••This Week••.

The family's arguments, backed up by members of Congress who want Elian to remain in the United States, come as the Justice Department insists that the relatives agree to surrender Elian if they lose their pending court case.

The Justice Department has given the relatives until Tuesday to sign such a promise and has threatened to revoke the boy's permission to be in this country if they do not agree. That deadline has been extended twice already.

Family members want to preserve their option to keep up the legal fight even if they lose their case in federal court, which enforces immigration law. They also want a family court, which considers a child's best interests, to hear the case.