APNU leaders vow to resist Govt’s “bullyism” at East Ruimveldt Street Parliament

Apr 13, 2026 News

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Kaieteur News – Members of Parliament of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) convened a “Street Parliament” in East Ruimveldt Saturday evening, sounding a collective alarm over what they described as central government’s systematic “strangulation” of municipal authority.

Standing before the charred remains of a community centre, now cordoned off by a government “no trespassing” sign, APNU Chairman Aubrey Norton, MP and Shadow Minister of Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport Nima Flue Bess, Mayor Alfred Mentore, and attorney Dr. Dexter Todd, MP led a marathon of speeches that framed the current administration as a “bullying” force intent on displacing local governance and marginalised citizens.

Adding to the calls for resistance, MP and educator Nima Flue-Bess delivered a reminder of the community’s roots. She said East Ruimveldt was built on a foundation of self-help and local initiative, a legacy established under the late L.F.S. Burnham. Flue-Bess pointed to the shuttered daycare centre as a primary example of government failure, noting that essential facilities for working parents have been left to decay.

“This is an act of disrespect toward our history,” Flue-Bess told the residents, referring to the newly erected “no trespassing” signs. She warned the community against being misled by temporary political promises, urging them instead to unite and protect their recreational spaces. She framed the current struggle as one for the future, arguing that if these spaces are surrendered now, future generations will have no place of their own.

Mayor Alfred Mentore reinforced these sentiments by challenging the legality of recent government interventions. Pointing to the “no trespassing” sign, Mentore asked the crowd, “How you could don’t trespass on your own property? What really going on in this country, man?” He argued that the central government is attempting to seize municipal streets and playgrounds, vested to the council by “forefathers and predecessors”, under the guise of the Road Act.

He warned that this is not merely a jurisdictional dispute but a direct threat to the city’s survival.  Estimating that the loss of control over reserves and vending areas would cost the municipality a minimum of $40 million annually in revenue. “They come for the streets, but we had no choice but to challenge that action based on our facts and our evidence,” Mentore said, pledging to take the fight to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) if necessary.

Dr. Dexter Todd, providing a legal perspective, framed the government’s moves as a “dangerous” infiltration of the day-to-day operations of local communities. He recounted stories from village seniors who manually built the East Ruimveldt centre. “When I came earlier today, two of our seniors sat me down and gave me a lesson… there was no government then. It was the community,” Todd stated.

Todd accused the administration of practising “strategic neglect,” waiting for community assets to fall into disrepair due to a lack of city funding, then claiming ownership. He also issued a stark warning to residents to secure their land titles. “You have a government that is coming to displace you,” he warned. “Stop sleeping on it.”

The social cost of this political friction was highlighted by MP Riaz Rupnarain and community representative Jamal Adams. Rupnarain challenged the government’s narrative of “the good life,” noting that rising costs of living, such as the $16,000 price tag for cooking gas in the interior, are crushing the working class. “Do not allow them to give you GWI dirty water and call it holy wine,” Rupnarain told the youth.

Adams, a local business owner, spoke of the personal hurt caused by the signs on land that he and his neighbors had manually filled with mud. He suggested that recreational spaces are being coveted for private hotels or parking lots for “friends” of the administration, rather than serving the people who built them.

Closing the evening, APNU Chair, Aubrey Norton delivered a stern summation, warning supporters against being swayed by “pittance” grants. He cited the Mackenzie Sports Club in Linden as a precedent where the government allegedly used minor repairs as a pretext for an ownership takeover.

Norton highlighted what he described as a “wicked” disparity in resource allocation, noting that while central government initiatives receive nearly a billion dollars, the capital city is starved of basic maintenance funds. He concluded by pledging to continue the “Street Parliament” series across all regions to “educate and expose” the administration’s tactics. “We will resist the People’s Progressive Party and ensure they do not stand a chance in Georgetown,” Norton declared.

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• APNU, bullyism, Dr. Dexter Todd, Nima Flue-Bess, Street Parliament

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