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Guinea-Bissau’s Prime Minister Baciro Dja has resigned after the Supreme Court ruled his appointment as contrary to the law. Baciro Dja, stepped down after 20 days in office following his appointment through presidential decree by President Jose Mario Vaz.

“I will acknowledge the political consequences (from the ruling) by drafting my letter of resignation which I will submit to the head of state,” Dja told journalists.

A panel of the country’s powerful judges – where eight out of 12 of the judges- ruled that Baciro Dja’s nomination on the 20th of August was not legal. In a 15 page ruling the legal observances stated that the ruling party was not consulted in the appointment and the opinions of other parties represented in parliament were not taken into consideration.

The 39 year old prime minister was the minister for defence in the Carlos Gomes Junior Government that was overthrown in 2012 by a military coup in the country.

Dja was appointed a week later after the preceding Prime Minister, Domingos Simoes Pereira, was sacked by president Vaz due to misunderstandings between the two. Pereira’s supporters took to the street to peacefully protest his dismissal.

The appointment of ministers and secretaries of state by presidential decree was opposed by the president’s African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).

Guinea Bissau has had numerous military coups since its independence from the Portuguese. President’s Vaz government was elected in 2014 democratically