Two MPs have stepped forward to challenge Martin Bosma for his position as chair of parliament.

Tom van der Lee of GroenLinks-PvdA, who lost out to Bosma two years ago, and Thom van Campen of the VVD have put their names into the hat for Tuesday’s vote. Other potential candidates have until noon on Monday to declare.

The Tweede Kamer elects a new chairperson following every general election. Bosma, 61, was chosen after being deputy chair in the previous two cabinet terms.

He was a controversial choice in some quarters because he represents Geert Wilders’ PVV party. More recently he was criticised for not speaking out against two PVV MPs who made fake AI images of GL-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans.

His invitation to the annual commemoration of the abolition of slavery was withdrawn because of disparaging remarks he made about anti-slavery campaigners in the past. Bosma described Tula, the leader of a slave uprising on the island of Curaçao in 1795, as a “racist murderer”.

Lights out by 11

In his letter applying for re-election, Bosma said his style of chairmanship was appreciated by his parliamentary colleagues. “I don’t let debates drag on unnecessarily, the interruptions and responses are shorter and the lights are almost always out in the debating chamber by 11pm,” he said.

Bosma also said he welcomed the system that requires him to reapply for his job every time a new parliament is convened, calling it “the most open application procedure in the Netherlands.”

Van Campen, who would be the youngest parliamentary chair ever at the age of 35, said he was committed to ensuring that “all voices are heard” in parliament and that MPs treated each other respectfully – “not with a raised finger, but with a firm hand and with humour where appropriate”.

Van der Lee, who has been an MP for GroenLinks since 2017, said he wanted to help improve the political culture. “I know the Tweede Kamer like the back of my hand,” he said.

Van der Lee lost by nine votes in the decisive ballot last time, but Bosma faces a tougher task to secure re-election that the PVV has dropped from 37 seats to 26.