Thousands of protesters in GuineaBissau's capital on Saturday demanded President Jose Mario Vaz step down to resolve a political crisis that has paralysed the coup-poor West African country. Protesters marched through Bissau's streets lined with hedges and palm trees singing and shouting "Jomav out!, Using an abbreviation for the president's name. The protest followed a smaller one two weeks ago also demanding that Vaz quit. The former Portuguese colony has not convened parliament for more than a year and public anger is growing at the failure of locally-mediated talks to resolve deep rivalries within the political elite. Vaz has yet to react to the protests, but he has defended his record in government and says he has cracked down on graft.
