President of Guinea-Bissau has named a new Prime Minister but his sacked predecessor refused to step down, intensifying a bitter power struggle between Vaz and the ruling party weeks ahead of a presidential election.
Vaz, who is running again in the November 24th election, dissolved the government on Monday, saying the political situation was destabilization the normal running of state institutions in the country.
It has suffered repeated bouts of instability since it became independent from Portugal in 1974, including nine coups or attempted coups. And also a surge in cocaine trafficking from South America that has been linked to senior military officials.
The country has been largely peaceful since Vaz came to power in a 2014 election that followed a coup two years earlier.
In a decree, Vaz named as Prime Minister Faustino Fudut Imbali, who served in the same post from 2000-2003 and represents the small Manifest Party of the People.
