Abdullah says he's not going anywhere because MSJ is still supporting coalition

David Abdulah is not giving up his seat in the Senate. The government senator who is leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) announced on Monday that his party will not attend Thursday's anniversary rally of the People's Partnership.

On Tuesday he insisted that he is holding on to his job as a legislator, noting that the MSJ is still a member of the governing coalition and will support the government.

"As a legislator, one has a responsibility to vote together with your colleagues in Government. That is the general position unless there is an issue that is really fundamentally problematic, in which case we would say it is problematic. But that has not arisen," he said.

Abdulah refused to speculate on whether Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar would revoke his senate appointment.

The chairman of the United National Congress (UNC), Jack Warner, has suggested that Abdulah should quit his senatorial position if he is telling MSJ members on state boards to resign.

Abdulah has said the decision to withdraw its members from State boards is because the party is not prepared "to abide or to go along with the nonsense that is taking place in terms of governance on a number of State boards. It is not all the State boards that nonsense is going on, but on a number of them".

Abdulah said: "We have not withdrawn from the Partnership and therefore the issue of my resignation as a senator does not arise." He added, "In my view the nature of the coalition allows for parties to speak to all issues."