Research Africa > West of Africa > Sierra Leone > Politics

Politics        0  824 reads

1) Government
 

Administrative divisions
3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador No representation
Capital city Freetown
Capital city > Geographic coordinates 8 30 N, 13 15 W
Capital city > Name Freetown
Capital city > Time difference
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Head of Government Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Title President
Constitution
1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Corruption 2.4 [130th of 160]
CPIA equity of public resource use rating 3 [59th of 75]
CPIA quality of public administration rating 3 [46th of 75]
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission
Ambassador June Carter PERRY
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy
Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX [232] (22) 515 355
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address
use embassy street address
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone
[232] (22) 515 000 or [232] (76) 515 000
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery
1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission
Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX [1] (202) 483-1793
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone
[1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
Elections > Head of state Direct election
Executive branch > Cabinet
Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
Executive branch > Chief of state
President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Executive branch > Election results
second round results; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA 54.6%, Solomon BEREWA 45.4%

Executive branch > Elections
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 August 2007 and 8 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012)

Executive branch > Head of government
President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
Flag modification 27 [31st of 197]
Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition March 27, 1980
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth 23.05 % [9th of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU 14352510000
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU 454431000000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ 154,044,400 $ [137th of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP) 0.129 $ per $1 of GDP [90th of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita) 27.879 $ per capita [132nd of 184]
Government type constitutional democracy
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom Sarah MacIntosh
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom > Resident Heads of Missions > Type High Commission
Independence 27 April 1961 (from UK)

International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch
Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Legal origin
English
Legal system
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; to serve five-year terms)

Legislative branch > Election results
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 59, SLPP 43, PMDC 10
Legislative branch > Elections
last held on 11 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 April
Parliamentary seats > Female 6% [104th of 143]
political parties > Multi party •

Political parties and leaders
All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON]; People's Movement for Democratic Change or PMDC [Charles MARGAI]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Solomon BEREWA]; numerous others

Political pressure groups and leaders
trade unions and student unions
Political pressure groups and leaders > Other
student unions; trade unions
Procedures to build a warehouse > number 48 [1st of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita) 8.687 per 1 million people [39th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number 58 [8th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita) 10.497 per 1 million people [52nd of 171]
Procedures to register property > number 8 [35th of 167]
Procedures to register property > number (per capita) 1,447.839 per 1 billion people [53rd of 167]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > % 14.5 % [86th of 174]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number 9 [86th of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita) 1.629 per 1 million people [75th of 171]
Status
democracy
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days 236 days [51st of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days 515 days [75th of 171]
Time required to register property > days 235 days [14th of 167]
Time required to start a business > days 26 days [114th of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours 399 hours [43rd of 169]
Time to resolve insolvency > years 2.6 years [92nd of 151]
Total businesses registered > number 2,871 [68th of 71]
Total businesses registered > number (per capita) 0.561 per 1 million people [63rd of 83]
Trademarks, nonresidents 187 [91st of 99]
Trademarks, nonresidents (per capita) 45.205 per 1 million people [106th of 146]
Trademarks, residents 25 [88th of 98]
Trademarks, residents (per capita) 6.043 per 1 million people [113rd of 142]

Transnational Issues > Disputes > International
as domestic fighting among disparate ethnic groups, rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone gradually abate, the number of refugees in border areas has begun to slowly dwindle; UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone since 1999; Sierra Leone considers excessive Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands including the hamlet of Yenga occupied since 1998

UN membership date 27 Sep. 1961
United Nations mission
http://www.sierra-leone.org/
Washington, D.C. embassies > Neighborhood Kalorama Triangle



Democracy
 

Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Management Index 2006 5.73 [37th of 118]
Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006 5.27 [71st of 119]
Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation 6.15 [58th of 119]
Civil and political liberties 2.5 [88th of 140]
CPIA gender equality rating 3 [61st of 75]
CPIA policies for social inclusion/equity cluster average 2.9 [59th of 75]
CPIA property rights and rule-based governance rating 2.5 [61st of 75]
CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average 2.9 [50th of 75]
CPIA transparency, accountability, and corruption in the public sector rating 2.5 [61st of 75]
Electoral system party list
Electoral system type proportional
Female candidacy 1,961 [34th of 161]
Female ministers 8.1% [88th of 125]
Female parliamentarians 8.8% [106th of 157]
Female suffrage 1961
Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment 0.812932619801679 [139th of 183]
Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Laws against homosexuality Yes
Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout 83.3% [31st of 152]
Parliamentary elections > Total vote 1,950,490 [82nd of 154]
Parliamentary elections > Voter registration 2,342,550 [94th of 152]
Parliamentary elections > Voting age population 2,029,720 [106th of 163]
Parliamentary elections > Voting age population (per capita) 345.955 per 1,000 people [154th of 162]
Presidential elections > Registered voter turnout 81.4% [15th of 86]
Presidential elections > Total vote 1,907,460 [55th of 87]
Presidential elections > Voter registration 2,342,550 [62nd of 86]
Presidential elections > Voting age population 2,029,720 [71st of 91]
Presidential elections > Voting age population (per capita) 345.955 per 1,000 people [88th of 91]


SOURCES
 Bertelsmann Transformation Index online, 2006; http://www.bertelsmann-transformation ... /BTI_2006_Ranking_GB.pdf; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001; World Development Indicators database; No comment is being made on the state of democracy. Categorizations are based on the electoral law, or the last competitive election held; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on women in government at the ministerial level. March. Geneva; calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; Wikipedia: Homosexuality laws of the world ; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sierra Leone, Republic of Sierra Leone

View this article in PDF format Print article
Items by the same author
Other articles in this category
Sierra Leone at a glance
Geography
History
Culture
Economy (1)
Economy (2)
Politics
Military