Carlos da Graça

Carlos da Graça

Carlos Alberto Monteiro Dias da Graça (* December 22, 1931 - April 17, 2013 ) was Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1994 to 1995 .

Political career

Carlos Graça was a doctor by profession and belonged to the Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe (MLSTP), founded in 1960 , which ruled as a unity party from 1975 until the introduction of democracy in 1990/1991 . In 1975 he was a member of the constituent assembly. After the island state gained independence from Portugal , he became Minister of Health.

After his release he first went to Gabon and at the beginning of 1978 he attempted an overthrow with mercenaries that failed. In March 1979 he was sentenced to 24 years in prison for this in absentia. In the course of a general national reconciliation, he was granted amnesty in 1985 and was able to return. In doing so, he separated from the opposition group FRNSTP, which he had led in exile in Gabon.

From 1988 to 1990 he was the country's foreign minister , after which he became general secretary of the previous unity party, which now operated under the new name MLSTP-PSD. In the first free elections on January 20, 1991, his party suffered a defeat with 30.5% of the vote. Between 1988 and 1991 he was a member of parliament.

On October 25, 1994, after his party's election victory, he became Prime Minister. A military coup interrupted his term in office on August 15, 1995. Six days later, negotiations ended the attempted coup. Da Graça resigned on December 31, 1995. In the presidential election of June 30, 1996, he won 5.4% of the vote as an independent candidate in the first ballot and was eliminated.

Most recently (2005) he was again a member of parliament and represents the Forum Francophone des Affaires organization in his country.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Morreu Carlos Graça, ex-Primeiro-ministro de São Tomé e Príncipe

Web links

• Chronicle of Sao Tome and Principe
• Chronicle of São Tomé and Principe ( Memento of May 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
• Entry at the National Assembly of São Tomé and Príncipe ( Deputados ) (Portuguese)