e held NA 2000)
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the
approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible
to the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
House of Representatives: elections last held NA February 1996 (next
to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats (80
total, 68 elected, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate
elections) 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 (NPP), Andrew TURAY;
Democratic Center Party (DCP), Abu KOROMA; Peoples Progressive Party
(PPP), Edward KAMARA, chairman; Coalition for Progress Party (CPP),
Geredine WILLIAMS-SARHO; National Unity Movement (NUM); United
National Peoples Party (UNPP); Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Thaimu BANGURA, chairman; All Peoples Congress (APC), S. A. T.
KOROMA, chairman; National Republican Party (NRP); Social Democratic
Party (SDP); Peoples National Convention (PNC), I. B. KARGBO,
chairman; National Unity Party (NUP), A. O. D. GEORGE, chairman;
Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), Paul DUNBAR, chairman; National
Democratic Alliance (NDA); National Alliance for Democracy Party
(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 US:
chief of mission: (vacant)
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261

US diplomatic representation:
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: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white,
and light blue

Economy
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Economic overview: Sierra Leone has substantial mineral,
agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and
social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious socia