Mark to declare Jack's seat vacant

File: Speaker Wade mark

The Speaker of the House of Representatives plans to declare vacant the seat of Jack Warner at Friday's sitting of the House.

Wade Mark received Warner's resignation as the MP for Chaguanas West on Friday April 26. However although the resignation took effect on that date the seat was not officially declared vacant.

That technical detail is necessary to determine the timeline for the byelection.

According to the constitution, the election must be held no later than 90 days from the date the seat is declared vacant. If Mark does it on Friday it would mean that the earliest date for the election would be 28 days from Friday; the latest date would be August 9, 2013.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said earlier this week she would announce a date for the election after Mark formally makes the declaration. She also said every member of the United National Congress (UNC) is free to seek the nomination, including the former MP, Jack Warner.

Warner has said he is "UNC to the bone" and will seek the nomination. He has said if he is denied it "all options are option". His choices would be to run an an independent, withdraw from the race or endorse the UNC candidate.

If he runs as an independent the UNC can expel him for breach of the party's constitution, which states that a member of the party cannot run against a candidate nominated by the party in a general election.