Opposition wants president to resign

Guinea-Bissau's opposition parties demanded on Friday the resignation of President Kumba Yala, saying he had interfered with the independent judiciary and encouraged tribalism to destabilize the country, news agencies reported. A joint statement by the main parties including the Guinea-Bissau Resistance party and the African Party for Independence in Guinea said Yala was "the principal obstacle" to the West African country's "peace and development", the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported . In September, church bishops called for national reconciliation saying the country was facing hard times due to lack of government action, frequent leadership changes and a succession of ministers and judges, failure to draft a new constitution approved by the national assembly, and human rights violations. The bishops recommended a restoration of the law of rights, whereby the "legislative, executive and judiciary powers operate in solidarity but independently". In July the UN Security Council had urged Yala to seek national dialogue and encourage national reconciliation, good governance and the demobilisation, reintegration and reinsertion of ex-combatants; to keep a watchful eye on public finances and improve international relations. Guinea-Bissau, a Portuguese colony until 1974 witnessed civil war from June 1998 to May 1999 resulting in the overthrow of President Joao Bernardo Vieira, thousands of deaths and displacement of 300,000 in a population of 1.2 million people. A military junta ruled until presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1999 and early 2000. Yala won the polls but his party failed to obtain a majority in parliament. Since then, the country has been wracked by crises, including coup attempts. Yala has also dismissed several officials in his government.