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-the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (inaugurated 29 March 1996); 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 held 26-27 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-first round KABBAH 36.0%, second round KABBAH 59.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (80 seats, 68 elected, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26-27 February 1996 (next to be held 2001) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-SLPP 27, UNPP 17, PDP 12, APC 5, NUP 4, DCP 3; note-first elections since the former House of Representatives 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 Peoples Party or NPP [Andrew TURAY]; Democratic Center Party or DCP [Abu KOROMA]; Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Edward KAMARA, chairman]; Coalition for Progress Party or CPP [Geredine WILLIAMS-SARHO]; National Unity Movement or NUM [John Desmond Fashole LUKE]; United National Peoples Party or UNPP [John KARIFA-SMART]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Thaimu BANGURA, chairman]; All Peoples Congress or APC [Edward Mohammed TURAY, chairman]; National Republican Party or NRP [Sahr Stephen MAMBU]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Andrew Victor LUNGAY]; Peoples National Convention or PNC [Edward John KARGBO, chairman]; National Unity Party or NUP [Dr. John KARIMU, chairman]; Sierra Leone Peoples Party or SLPP [President Tejan KABBAH, chairman]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Amadu M. B. JALLOH]; National Alliance for Democracy Party or NADP [Mohamed Yahya SILLAH]
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 light blue