26 July 1847

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

Constitution: 6 January 1986

Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American
common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten
tribal practices for indigenous sector

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Council of State Ruth PERRY (since NA
August 1996); note - chairman of the Council of State is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government : Chairman of the Council of State Ruth PERRY
(since NA August 1996); note - chairman of the Council of State is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the leaders of the major factions in the
civil war
elections: last presidential election held 15 October 1985 (next to be
held 19 July 1997); results - Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson
DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%
note : constitutional government ended in September 1990 when
President Samuel Kanyon DOE was killed by rebel forces; civil war
ensued and in August 1996 the Abuja II peace accord was signed by the
major warring factions; a transitional coalition government under Ruth
PERRY was formed in August 1996; presidential elections are scheduled
for 19 July 1997

Legislative branch: unicameral Transitional Legislative Assembly, the
members of which are appointed by the leaders of the major factions in
the civil war
note : the former bicameral legislature no longer exists and is
unlikely to be reconstituted soon

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: present conditions of civil strife and
anarchy have rendered Liberia's political parties completely
ineffectual; prior to the outbreak of warfare among armed factions the
following political parties were prominent: National Democratic Party
of Liberia or NDPL [Augustus CAINE, chairman]; Liberian Action Party
or LAP [Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman]; Unity Party or UP [Joseph KOFA,
chairman]; United People's Party or UPP [Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS,
chairman]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR,
chairman]; Liberian Peoples Party or LPP [Dusty WOLOKOLLIE, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders: the following armed factions,
in accordance with the peace accord of August 1995, form the
transitional government of Liberia: Armed Forces of Liberia or AFL
(formerly a part of the national armed forces) [Lt. Gen. Hez