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| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone
local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
local short form: Sierra Leone | | | Government type | constitutional democracy | | | Capital | name: Freetown
geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) | | | 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)
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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held on 28 July 2007)
election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH 70.6%, Ernest Bai KOROMA 22.4% | | | 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)
elections: last held on 14 May 2002 (next to be held on 28 July 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.1%, APC 22.4%, PLP 3%, others 4.5%; 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 [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 | | 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, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | | | Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue | |
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