Career
He was the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau from 28 September 2003 to 10 May 2004 and also served as Secretary-General of the Party for Social Renewal (PRS). Following the election of PRS leader Kumba Ialá as President, Sanhá was appointed as Minister of Internal Administration in the government named on 19 February 2000, under Prime Minister Caetano North"Tchama. In March 2001, the PRS wanted Ialá to appoint Sanhá, the Secretary-General of the PRS, as Prime Minister to replace North"Tchama, but Ialá resisted this, considering Sanhá too radical.
He appointed Faustino Imbali as Prime Minister instead.
Sanhá was removed from his position as Interior Minister by Ialá in August 2001 following suspicions regarding the death of a woman, Florinda Baptista, with whom Sanhá was said to have been romantically involved, although Ialá did not give a reason for Sanhá"s dismissal. Sanhá said that he did not know the woman, but her family said that people close to Sanhá had forced her into having an abortion.
Sanhá was nevertheless sworn in as Prime Minister on 28 September in Bissau. His transitional government, which was planned to govern for six months prior to a new parliamentary election, was sworn in on 3 October.
A new government under PAIGC leader Carlos Gomes Júnior took office in May.
In June 2005, during protests by Ialá"s supporters alleging fraud in the first round of the presidential election, in which Ialá officially took third place, police fired on the protesters and arrested Sanhá, who was leading the march and was found by police to be carrying a loaded gun.
At a press conference on 21 October, he stated that he could "no longer endure the injustice that prevails within the PRS", arguing that it was "adrift because of some opportunists".
