How MP Brison orchestrated his own downfall

By Hilbert Haar

Democracy at its finest. That is how my publisher Terrance Rey describes the outcome of what was basically a vote of no confidence against the chairlady of parliament, Grisha Heyliger-Marten. I agree, but there is more to the story.

There is no doubt that Heyliger-Marten is doing a fine job in her current function. One could say that she has definitely stepped out of the shadow of her husband Theo Heyliger. She is a force to be reckoned with.

That the initiative for a motion to remove her from her position came from the leader of her own party, MP Rolando Brison, is – to put it mildly – remarkable. What on earth is going on here?

Brison is currently the leader of the United People’s party, but the basis for that position is weak. During the last elections Brison won 485 votes; respectable outcome, no doubt about it. But Grisha Heyliger-Marten topped that score with 656 votes. Take out your calculators: that’s 35.2 percent better. From this perspective, Brison is not more than a figurehead who, I suspect, will soon fall from his pedestal.

Heyliger-Marten’s election result may have been seen by some as based on sympathy-votes after her husband left politics, but she has by now proven that she is worth every vote she won.

With a 9 to 6 vote against Brison’s ill-conceived motion to remove Heyliger-Marten from her position, the position of the UP-party leader had weakened considerably.

The question is not if the party will tolerate Brison’s shenanigans much longer. The real question is when the UP will decide that it has had enough of such a loose cannon. Will Brison still be a UP-candidate when the next elections roll around?

In politics, nothing suprises me anymore. But hey, if I had to put my money somewhere I surely would not bet on Brison returning as a UP-candidate. That ship has sailed because, basically, MP Brison has orchestrated his own downfall.

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