This archive report was first published on 12 November 2019.
Guinea Bissau President José Mário Vaz has sparked a political crisis ahead of the country's presidential elections on November 24 by sacking the government and installing his ally in the elections, Faustino Imbali, as prime minister.
On the campaign trail, President Vaz declared he was not afraid of anyone and lampooned the Ecowas recognised Prime Minister Aristides Gomes for asking the 15-member economic bloc to sanction him.
Before quickly turning spiritual, he said he wanted to 'develop the country' during his second term in office.
On Sunday, President Vaz said, 'We hand our head to Virgin Mary and to Guinea Bissau people,' during a campaign rally in the capital Bissau.
The Ecowas extraordinary summit of heads of state and government in Niamey, Niger, on Friday, recognised Mr Gomes' government and gave President Vaz's government 48 hours to leave office.
Mr Imbali resigned the same day, and the country is now effectively being run by two governments, one under Vaz and the other under Gomes.
Mr Imbali's political formation, the Social Renovation Party, criticised Ecowas for not recognising his government, saying, 'Ecowas usurped Guinea Bissau citizens powers and imposed that other aspects of our parliamentary and semi presidential democracies have to be suspended.'
Ecowas has threatened sanctions against those who undermine democracy and elections, and has deployed an electoral observer team in Guinea Bissau and will disburse $1.5 million to support the electoral process.
