7 April 1961 (from UK)

National holiday: Republic 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 (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