Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Government type:
constitutional democracy
Capital:
Freetown
Administrative divisions:
3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
Independence:
27 April 1961 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution:
1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Legal system:
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996,
reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March
1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the
approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible
to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007); note -
president's tenure of office is limited to two five-year terms
election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of
vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12
filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC
22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
All People's Congress or APC [Alhaji Sat KOROMA, interim chairman];
Citizens United for Peace and Progress or CUPP [Alfred Musa CONTEH,
interim chairman]; Coalition for Progress Party or CPP [Jeridine
WILLIAM-SARHO, interim leader]; Democratic Center Party or DCP [Adu
Aiah KOROMA]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [George E. L. PALMER];
Democratic Party or DP [Henry BALO, acting chairman]; National
Alliance Democratic Party or NADP [Mohamed Yahya SILLAH, chairman];
National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Amadu M. B. JALLOH]; National
People's Party or NPP [Andrew TURAY]; National Republican Party or
NRP [Stephen Sahr MAMBU]; National Unity Movement or NUM [Sam LEIGH,
interim chairman]; National Unity Party or NUP [John BENJAMINE,
interim leader]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington
MORRISON, interim chairman]; People's Democratic Alliance or PDA
[Cpl. (Ret.) Abdul Rahman KAMARA, interim chairman]; People's
Democratic Party or PDP [Osman KAMARA]; People's National Convention
or PNC [Edward John KARGBO]; People's Progressive Party or PPP
[Abass Chernok BUNDU, chairman]; Revolutionary United Front Party or
RUFP [Foday Saybana SANKOH, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or
SDP [Andrew Victor LUNGAY]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP
[Ahmad Tejan KABBAH, chairman]; United National People's Party or
UNPP [John KAREFA-SMART in exile, Raymond KAMARA, acting leader];
Young People's Party or YPP [Cornelius DEVEAUS, interim chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Trade Unions and Student Unions
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA
FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter Russell CHAVEAS
embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485
FAX: [232] (22) 225471
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light
blue