 For this reason he was sentenced 24 years jail and had to 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 MLSTP/PSD Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Partido Social Democrata.