Carlos Alberto Monteiro Dias da Graça (22 December 1931 – 17 April 2013) was a São Toméan politician who served as the country's sixth

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Biography

Graça was one of the co-founders of the

Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe Movement may refer to: Generic uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Movement (sign language), a hand movement when signing * Motion, commonly referred to as movement * Movement (music), a division of a larger c ...

(MLSTP). After 25 April 1974 revolution in Portugal he was a member of the transition government preparing the independence of São Tomé and Príncipe. After the independence in 1975 he became Minister of Social Affairs. He was the first founder of the MLSTP raising his opposition to the move of the regime towards a dictatorial Marxist–Leninist regime. For this reason he was sentenced 24 years jail and had to go into exile again in 1977, becoming one of the main opponents to Manuel Pinto da Costa regime. He was asked by Pinto da Costa to come back to Sao Tome in 1987, in order to prepare the transition to a multi-party democracy. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1988 to 1990, while being one of the main politicians preparing the new democratic constitution and the first free elections. After the first free elections he became leader of the MLSTP, which he turned into the

(MLSTP/PSD). He led his party to victory in the 1994 general election and became prime minister on 25 October. A short lived military ''

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

'' temporarily deposed the elected government from 15 August 1995 to 21 August 1995. Civilian rule was restored on 21 August 1995 and Graça remained prime minister until 31 December 1995. He is considered as one of the main architects of the democracy in his country. Graça was elected Chairman of the Committee on Social Affairs and at the end of the term in 2006 he moved away from the political party active life. He died on 17 April 2013 in

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at the age of 81.

Works

His published works include: *Essay on the Human condition in 2004, Edited by IDD - Institute for Democracy and Development *John Paul II Politico, his role in the fall of communism in 2006, Edited by UNEAS-National Union of Writers and Artists STP ;in 2007 *Che Guevara: mythical character, Issue IDD, and Autobiography *Political Memoirs of a Nationalist Sui Generis Santomense, Edition UNEAS, 2012

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graca, Carlos 1931 births 2013 deaths People from São Tomé Prime ministers of São Tomé and Príncipe Foreign ministers of São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe writers Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party politicians 20th-century São Tomé and Príncipe politicians 21st-century São Tomé and Príncipe politicians