Sierra Leone Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form : Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone

Data code SL

Government type constitutional democracy

National capital Freetown

Administrative divisions 3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*

Independence 27 April 1961 (from UK)

National holiday Republic 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 (inaugurated 29 March 1996); note - thepresident is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (inaugurated 29 March 1996); note - thepresident is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet : Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of theHouse of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election held26-27 February 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); note - president's tenure of office is limited to 2 five-year terms
election results : Ahmad Tejan KABBAH elected president; percent of popular vote - NA

Legislative branch unicameral House of Representatives (80 seats, 68 elected, 12 filledby paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve NA-year terms)
elections : last held NA February 1996 (next to be held NA)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SLPP 27, UNPP 17, PDP12, APC 5, NUP 4, DCP 3; note - first elections since the former House ofRepresentatives was shut down by the military coup of 29 April 1992

Judicial branch Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders 15 parties registered for the February 1996 elections; National PeoplesParty or NPP [Andrew TURAY]; Democratic Center Party or DCP [Abu KOROMA];Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Edward KAMARA, chairman]; Coalition forProgress Party or CPP [Geredine WILLIAMS-SARHO]; National Unity Movement or NUM; United National Peoples Party or UNPP; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP[Thaimu BANGURA, chairman]; All Peoples Congress or APC [S. A. T. KOROMA,chairman]; National Republican Party or NRP; Social Democratic Party or SDP;Peoples National Convention or PNC [I. B. KARGBO, chairman]; National UnityParty or NUP [A. O. D. GEORGE, chairman]; Sierra Leone Peoples Party or SLPP[Paul DUNBAR, chairman]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA; National Alliancefor Democracy Party or NADP

International organization participation ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador John Ernest LEIGH
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission : Ambassador John L. HIRSCH
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 lightblue

NOTE: The information regarding Sierra Leone on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sierra Leone Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sierra Leone Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.