Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is to send a letter today to President George Maxwell Richards, advising him to declare vacant the Senatorial seat held by Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) leader David Abdulah.

TV6 News reported last night that Abdulah was still listed as a Senator on the Parliament's website yesterday as it had not then received any communication that his seat was declared vacant by the President, even though the Prime Minister said she had received his letter of resignation from the Senate on Sunday.

Abdulah said he would be resigning from the Senate as he also announced the MSJ would be pulling out of the People's Partnership Government on Sunday.

But the Constitution states a Senator shall vacate his seat once it is declared vacant by the President acting, in this case, in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister.

In response to a question on Abdulah's Senatorial seat, the Prime Minister's Office stated: "The letter has been prepared and will be sent to the President tomorrow morning (today). Due to the Labour Day public holiday yesterday the letter will be delivered to the President tomorrow morning."

Once the President receives the letter today, Abdulah's seat is expected to be declared vacant well ahead of the next sitting of the Senate on Friday.

In the House of Representatives, however, the seat now held by Labour Minister and former MSJ leader Errol Mc Leod will not be declared vacant as a result of the party's withdrawal from the ruling People's Partnership.

McLeod, MP for Pointe-a-Pierre, is still listed as having his party affiliation with the MSJ. But he did not originally contest that seat on an MSJ ticket.

TV6 News asked the Leader of the House, Dr Roodal Moonilal, whether Mc Leod will continue to represent the MSJ in the Parliament.

"He is a member of the Government; he is an MSJ member; he campaigned on a UNC ticket, of course, because only the UNC and COP it was felt could...(and) had the wherewithall to contest a seat. He contested as a UNC candidate but he quite clearly was a MSJ candidate," Moonilal said.

He described McLeod as an extremely valuable member of the Cabinet and the Parliament.

As for McLeod's continued representation of the MSJ's interests, Moonilal said, "It would depend on the party and I think that party that has left the administration would need to work out whether or not Mr McLeod still speaks for the party or represents their interests or not. I think that is a matter for the MSJ."