What could happen …

Under the Constitution, the Office of Prime Minister shall become vacant ...

• if he resigns his office;
  
• if he ceases to be a member of the House of Representatives otherwise than by a dissolution of Parliament;
  
• if adjudged he is declared bankrupt, certified to be insane, adjudged to be of unsound mind or detained as a criminal lunatic;
  
• If the House of Representatives by a resolution which has received the affirmative vote of a majority of all the members thereof has resolved that the appointment of the prime minister ought to be revoked, the governor general shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, by instrument under the Broad Seal, revoke his appointment;
  
• If the House of Representatives votes that it has no confidence in him.

The PM's choices if he decides to resign

1. If he decides to vacate office, Golding could ask the governor general to dissolve Parliament and make way for the holding of a general election.
   
   or
   
   
2. He could step down as prime minister. The next prime minister would be the person who best commands the respect of the majority of the Parliament.