Rebekka Timmer was elected the new chairman of BIJ1 on Saturday. 74 percent of political party members agreed with her appointment, BIJ1 told NRC†
Timmer (22) was the only remaining candidate for the presidency, after rival candidate Jursica Mills dropped out last week. Mills was party chairman until the end of June and wanted to run for re-election, but resigned from her position out of dissatisfaction with the state of affairs at the party. It would be full of “toxicity, favoritism and contradictions,” she wrote in an email to the various BIJ1 departments, which came into the hands of from The Parool†
Mills also disagreed with Timmer’s candidacy, wrote The Parool last week. Timmer had received a negative advice from the selection committee for the position, but continued her candidacy anyway.
The departure of Mills, as a result of which BIJ1 was said to have been “robbed”, was not the only moment of unrest within the party in recent months. Last summer a conflict arose between the party leadership and prominent member Quincy Gario, who was eventually expelled after complaints about his behaviour.
Timmer says in a reaction to her election as chairman that it is “time to heal from a hectic period”. She wants to “reflect on what has happened within our party, see what can be done better and what steps we need to take.” Until now, Timmer worked as an employee of BIJ1 party leader Sylvana Simons in the House of Representatives. She is now stepping down from that position.