CASTRIES, St Lucia – Prime Minister Stephenson King is expected to address the nation after two parliamentarians withdrew their support for him, reducing his ruling United Workers' Party (UWP) to a slender one-seat majority in the St Lucia parliament.

Informed sources told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that King's planned address tonight comes on the heels of news that dismissed foreign affairs minister Rufus Bousquet and Deputy Speaker Marcus Nicholas had withdrawn their support for him as prime minister.

The two disgruntled legislators met with Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy over the weekend to inform her of their position.

They have since said they are now "independent" members of Parliament.

As a result, the ruling UWP now has a 9-8 majority down from the 11-6 majority it enjoyed when the late Sir John Compton led the party to victory in the December 2006 general election.

King became head of the government after Sir John, the founder of the UWP, died last September. Before his death Sir John had dismissed Bousquet from his Cabinet but since then there have been moves to get the former foreign minister back in government.

Sources close to the government said that Bousquet and Nicholas are behind moves to force the dismissal of Economic Affairs Minister Ausbert 'Auvergne whom Sir John brought into the Cabinet through the Senate.

They claimed that D'Auvergne, the architect of the UWP's victory in the last election, had too much power as a non-elected member.

Political sources in Castries told CMC that apart from Bousquet and Nicholas, the Prime Minister is also likely to lose the support of his Housing Minister Richard Frederick.

At a recent meeting Bousquet and Nicholas reportedly walked out shortly after announcing that they had submitted their letters to the Governor General. (CMC)