Kissoon’s role in the Vice Chancellor affair of 2005

Jul 30, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,
There is back and forth exchange taking place between Freddie Kissoon and former UG Registrar, Vincent Alexander on the one hand and Freddie and attorney Ralph Ramkarran on the other, in relation to the short lived Vice Chancellor’s position of Dr. Mark Kirton in August 2005. Vincent wrote that he needed to correct Freddie to ensure that the history and records of the university are not distorted. I thought long and hard about writing this letter. I never sent a letter to the press before. I wrote one about the floods of 2005 but was advised by a UG colleague against publishing it.
But Vincent’s words kept ringing in my ears about preserving the UG records in their correct form. I decided to publish these thoughts of mine because central to the preservation of those records are the facts below that will never become part of those records and which will be lost to future generations. What follows should be on interests to researchers. I hope they allay Vincent’s fear.
For obvious reason Mr. Harris, I will choose to remain unidentified. The point is my message not the messenger. I was part of the Council of the University during those hectic days of Rose versus Kissoon and the disputed appointment of Dr. Mark Kirton. The year was 2005 and a general election was around the corner. Key players in the government thought that Dr. James Rose was not doing much at UG and he should be replaced. They wanted the Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Prem Misir to replace Rose but that met with violent resistance from the academics. Race came into the picture.
The academics were not supportive of Rose as Vice Chancellor and didn’t mind his replacement but not by an Indian who was part of the PPP Government. It meant from day one that Miser’s fate was sealed. But the option of Rose staying did not appeal to three influential Council members – the Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Nanda Gopaul and Indra Chanderpal. Then there was the student leader Jason Benjamin. Benjamin was very vocal about Rose going.
Certain council members were cultivating Benjamin because as I stated, a national election was around the corner. It was Freddie who I think complicated things though I believe Freddie was acting out of his natural instincts. At that time Rose and Freddie were involved in a do or die game at UG. What happened is that Freddie took centre stage in the action to move Rose and that politicized the water. If Freddie had stayed out the picture, I think the Government would not have rescinded the contract of Dr. Kirton.
What happened is that Freddie made’ Rose’s ouster a big political rally not only on the campus but in Guyana with his access to the media. He also brought Benjamin under his wing and roped in Norris Witter of the TUC. Whatever faults you can attribute to Freddie, his political passion is infectious. It was against this background the government acted to remove Kirton. I think President Jagdeo took Rose’s defeat in a personal way; as a victory for Freddie. This is where the Minister of Education, Dr. Henry Jeffrey and Ralph Ramkarran came in. I would like to think the President instructed both of them to ensure the status quo remained.
Looking back at this controversy, I would say the crucial factor in Kirton’s removal was Freddie. Had he been less vocal against Rose in the Council; left Benjamin, the Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Gopaul and Mrs. Chanderpal to determine how the Council would continue with Rose, then I think, UG’s history may have been different.
I rather suspect that if Freddie was not seen as the catalyst in Rose’s contract non-renewal, then things would have been allowed to settle and Kirton would have been allowed to stay on. The academics definitely did not want an Indian Vice Chancellor because they felt that he would have acted in the interest of race and politics whereas they felt more comfortable with Rose because of the very issue of race. The academics would have come around to finally accepting Kirton who was always widely liked and respected at UG. Incidentally, the President did move Rose; he replaced him with a Black Trinidadian and the academics made no fuss. The central figure in the issue was the politics and personality of Freddie Kissoon. Jagdeo saw Freddie as the centre of the controversy, and to a lesser extent, so did Dr. Jeffrey and Ramkarran.
I hope these little opinions of mine can assist those who will one day write about that period. I don’t think Freddie should read what is written here as a criticism. One of the best persons UG has produced is Freddie Kissoon. One of the best citizens Guyana produced is Freddie Kissoon. But in all seriousness, Freddie Kissoon can be his own worst enemy at times.
Former UG Council Member

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