Opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has joined in condemning the dismissal of columnist and political science lecturer Freddie Kissoon from the University of Guyana (UG) dubbing the action a violation of academic and press freedoms.

In a statement Tuesday the coalition accused the PPP/C government of using its voting power on the UG Council to terminate the lecturer’s contract in the middle of an academic year, a few months before it would have come up for review.

“APNU regards this recent act as a violation of Kissoon’s right to freedom of expression as a columnist, academic freedom as a lecturer and civil rights as a citizen,” the statement read. 

It continued that the move has come at a time when the University is already in crisis and has been finding it difficult to attract lecturers in several academic departments. It added that Kissoon has a natural right to be informed of the reasons for the termination of his contract and called for his reinstatement

“APNU has closely monitored the PPPC’s hostile attitude towards columnists and journalists who criticized President Bharrat Jagdeo over the past 12 years.  The Partnership expressed regret that, so early in his tenure as President, Mr. Donald Ramotar would take such a retrograde step by allowing such an incident to occur,” the statement concluded.

The Alliance For Change (AFC), for which Kissoon had campaigned in last year’s elections, on Monday called the sacking “disastrous” so early in Ramotar’s presidency and accused the PPP of continuing the “cut throat” policy of former president Jagdeo.

AFC chairman Khemraj Ramjattan told demwaves.com that he was made to understand that it was all of the government-aligned persons on the Council, of which Kissoon was a part, who voted for the lecturer’s termination at a meeting at which neither he nor the Trades Union Congress representative was invited.  

The AFC added that he will defend Kissoon’s case in court should he go that route and will be raising the matter in parliament and with President Ramotar.