MP Sidharth “Cookie” Bijlani
PHILIPSBURG--United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Sidharth “Cookie” Bijlani has been appointed as the new Chairperson of Parliament. He was appointed during a public meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Bijlani takes over the reins of former Chairperson Grisha Heyliger-Marten, who was ousted from the position on October 17. A total of 14 votes were cast for the position of Chairperson: eight for Bijlani, five for United Democrats (UD) MP Sarah Wescot-Williams and one blank.
Also appointed during Wednesday’s meeting was Second Vice Chairperson of Parliament Rolando Brison. Of the 14 votes cast for this position, eight were for Brison; four for Wescot-Williams; one for independent MP Marten-Heyliger and one blank.
The position of Chairperson of Parliament became vacant on October 17, when Heyliger-Marten was voted out during an urgent public meeting that was punctuated by jabs and finger pointing. Shortly after being voted out, she resigned from the party and became an independent MP.
The current First Vice Chairperson of Parliament is National Alliance (NA) MP William Marlin.
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/bijlani-new-parliament-chair-brison-second-vice-chair
