debconf: failed to initialize frontend: Slang

[kmfmu <k224@linuxfreemail.com>]

With my recent potato installation, when I install a package
that requires debconf I get these errors: 

debconf: failed to initialize frontend: Slang
debconf: falling back to frontend: Dialog

but then I'm back to the shell prompt, no debconf screen.

I have these packages installed:

whiptail     0.50-7
slang1       1.3.9-1
dialog       0.9a-20000118-3 
debconf      0.3.46

Reinstalling debconf doesn't help.

Any hints?