Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is insisting the St Joseph seat held by former justice minister Herbert Volney should be declared vacant by the Speaker at tomorrow’s sitting of the House of Representatives. In a letter, dated August 26 to Speaker Mark, the Prime Minister said Volney had resigned as a member of the United National Congress and consequently his seat should be declared vacant.
Volney has vowed to fight the Government on the matter and even would resort to legal action if necessary. Persad-Bissessar told Mark in her letter she was making her request in her capacity as leader of the UNC and in accordance with the Constitution. She noted that Volney was elected to the House as the MP for St Joseph but by letter, dated.July 30, he resigned from the UNC with immediate effect.
Persad-Bissessar wrote: “I consider it to be my constitutional duty under section 49A of the Constitution, to inform your good self that by virtue of his resignation, Mr Volney is no longer a member of the UNC, the party for which he was a candidate when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for St Joseph in the May 24th 2010 parliamentary elections.” She reminded Mark that there were provisions in that section of the Constitution to be taken by the Speaker in those circumstances.
“Having brought to your attention the fact that Mr Volney is no longer a member of the UNC, I call upon your good self at the next sitting of the House of Representatives to perform your constitutional duty by declaring that Mr Volney has resigned from the UNC,” the PM added. Mark is in South Africa attending a Commonwealth parliamentary conference.