Guinea-Bissau's President Jose Mario Vaz sacked his entire government on Thursday, demanding that the ruling party choose a new cabinet to lead the country out of its political crisis. The move came as the west African country struggles to resolve a nine-month political crisis within the ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) that has disrupted the functioning of both the government and parliament, raising concerns overseas. Ministries have been placed under security forces' control, according to witnesses and security sources, while the PAIGC was meeting to decide how to respond.
The crisis erupted in August when Vaz fired prime minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, who heads the PAIGC, putting the president on a collision course with the party he himself belongs to. In a message to the nation carried on national radio and television, Vaz said the ball was in the ruling party's court. "It is up to the party which won a majority in the legislative elections to propose a government capable of deserving the trust of the parliamentary majority," he said.
"The best solution would be the formation of a government which reflects the majority sentiment of the people in parliament and is able to govern in stable conditions," he added, suggesting he wanted to see a tie-up between PAIGC and its traditional allies. Analysts said the head of state, who is relatively isolated within a ruling party dominated by his former premier, was looking to assert his influence by enlarging the parliamentary majority.