Young Educator Riaz Rupnarain Takes Seat in Parliament, Vows to Champion Education and Border Security
Riaz Rupnarain, a long-time educator and youth advocate, is among 12 youthful representatives selected to serve in Parliament under the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
In an exclusive interview with Nightly News, Rupnarain—who hails from Jacklow, Pomeroon, Region Two—said his foremost commitment is to represent the will of the Guyanese people, particularly those in his community.
While acknowledging that Region Two is not traditionally an APNU stronghold and that the party will, for the first time, serve as a minority in the opposition benches, Rupnarain stressed that numbers will not diminish the quality of representation.
“Representation in the National Assembly is not just arithmetic about the numbers. It’s about holding the government accountable,” he declared.
Armed with degrees in International Relations, Educational Leadership, and International Law and Diplomacy, Rupnarain noted that Commonwealth examples prove that even smaller parliamentary parties can effectively hold governments to account.
He emphasized two top priorities:
- Equitable access to education, and
- Stronger border security for riverain communities, especially in the wake of the ongoing Guyana-Venezuela controversy.
“These are not APNU problems or PPP problems. They are Guyana’s problems, and I will address them as a Guyanese representative first,” Rupnarine said.
The former Youth Parliamentarian also expressed gratitude for being among APNU’s 12 representatives at the 13th Parliament, crediting his upbringing in a low-income family and his involvement in the PNC/R for shaping his drive and leadership.
He believes that by putting people first, Guyana can rebuild trust in political institutions and eventually in the party.
