The ruling party in the troubled west African country of Guinea Bissau on Friday demanded the reinstatement of prime minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, sacked a day earlier by the president following a series of spats.
President Jose Mario Vaz dissolved the government saying there was a “crisis” in relations with the premier that was undermining the functioning of government, raising fears of instability.
“We’ve told the president that our constitution and the party statutes are clear – the prime minister is the leader of the party that has won the elections,” Pereira said after meeting Vaz.
Several senior officials from the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which fought for independence from Portugal – won in 1974 – said they had made similar demands to the president and backed Pereira.
The president said his dispute with Pereira arose from a number of issues including the appointment of a new armed forces chief, a post of key influence in the small nation ill-famed as a hub in drug trafficking between South America and Europe.
The 16-member government took office only in July 2014, two months after Vaz became Guinea-Bissau’s first elected civilian leader since the army mutinied in 2012.
Vaz and Pereira are both members of the ruling party.
Pereira has meanwhile said he was still in the saddle and rejected his dismissal.
– AFP
