(Trinidad Express) As promised, House Speaker Wade Mark declared the seat of Chaguanas West vacant shortly after yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre in Port of Spain
Mark told the House he received a letter from Jack Warner on Friday, April 26.
He read the resignation letter into the records, which said that effective midnight Friday, April 26, Warner was resigning as the Member of Parliament for the Chaguanas West constituency.
“I enjoyed my stint in the Parliament under you because at all times you demonstrated fairness and impartiality in your judgments, thereby maintaining the hallowed sanctity of the House,” the letter stated.
Mark noted that Section 69 (30) of the Constitution states: “Where a vacancy occurs in the House of Representatives within the first four years of the life of the Parliament a by-election shall be held to fill such vacancy not later than 90 days from the date of the announcement by the Speaker of the vacancy.”
Warner, who was sitting in the public gallery, wore a sombre expression as Mark stated: “In view of the foregoing, I hereby declare the seat of Chaguanas West vacant.”
The announcement means that the by-election must be held by August 8.
This would be the third by-election to be held over the last 27 years.
The two previous ones—for the Diego Martin Central (1990) and Pointe-a-Pierre (1995) seats—saw the ruling parties, the NAR and the PNM, respectively, losing the seats.
