MP Bijlani elected chairman of parliament

PHILIPSBURG — Parliament elected  MP Sidharth Bijlani (UP) as the successor of MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten for the function of chairman. MP Rolando Brison (UP) was elected as the second vice-chair.

MP Heyliger-Marten was “relieved of her function,” as vice-chair MP William Marlin put it, on October 27. While that event was surrounded by quite a lot of (political) drama the election of her successor was stripped of all emotion.

Not a single MP wished to speak before the voting took place, most likely because there was not much to say anyway, and because the decision about Heyliger-Marten’s successor had already been taken behind closed doors..

MP Angelique Roumou and MP Brison functioned as the teller committee, distributing ballots and collecting them. Roumou announced the results.

There were 14 votes, of which 8 went to MP Bijlani, and 5 to MP Sarah Wescot-Williams. One vote remained blank.

The same number of votes was cast for the function of second vice-chair. MP Brison came out on top with 8 votes, MP Wescot-Williams received four votes and MP Heyliger-Marten one. Again, one MP opted to return a bank ballot.

With the election of MPs Bijlani and Brison the control of parliament remains firmly in the hands of the United People’s party (UP). MP William Marlin (National Alliance) kept his position as vice-chair.