More than five contracted employees of the Ministry of the Presidency were Monday given marching orders after government decided that their services were no longer required.

One of the persons, who has worked there for several years on annually renewed contract, expressed disgust at the manner he and others were fired. Those let go include a number of assistants to the President, Head of the Presidential Secretariat and presidential advisors.

That person said he had expected much more decorum rather than being served with a letter of termination of service by an Office Assistant on Monday June 22, 2015. “I never expected to be so ad hoc with just receiving a letter on a Monday afternoon without any meeting or consideration of re-assignment,” said the former employee.

The highly qualified persons said “I feel disappointed and hurt but I can’t do anything about it.”

Asked whether he believed that he and the others were the victims of a political witch-hunt by the new government against persons perceived as favourites by the previous People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC)-led administration, the former employee said “I don’t know if it is a witch-hunt or structural change.”

Ironically, the letters terminating the services of the Ministry of the Presidency functionaries was signed by Permanent Secretary Omar Sharif who is a senior functionary of the main opposition PPP.

Sharif was one of several persons who had initially appeared at a PPP press conference where alleged discrepancies in the results had been provided.

The PPP has repeatedly castigated the President David Granger-led administration, which was elected on May 11, 2015, of sacking several persons perceived as sympathetic or appointed by that party when it was in power over the last 23 years.