A Partnership for National Unity has condemned the termination of the contract of outspoken political scientist and newspaper columnist Frederick Kissoon with the University of Guyana. APNU regards the action as a violation of academic freedom and press freedom.
The People’s Progressive Party Civic administration used 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.
APNU said that this move has come at a time when the University of Guyana is already in crisis and has been finding it difficult to attract lecturers in several academic departments. The Partnership said that Mr. Kissoon has a natural right to be informed of the reasons for the termination of his contract and called for the lecturer’s re-instatement.
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.
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