Sierra Leone Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Republic of Sierra Leone

Type: republic under presidential regime since April 1971

Capital: Freetown

Political subdivisions: 3 provinces and the Western Area; divided into 12 districts with I46chiefdoms, where paramount chief and council of elders constitute basic unit of government; plus Western Area, which comprises Freetow n and other coastal areas of the former colony

Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; constitution adopted 1978; highest court of appeal is the Sierra Leone Court of Appeals; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Republic Day, 19 April

Branches: executive authority exercised by President; unicameral parliament consists of 104 authorized seats, 85 of which are filled by elected representatives of constituencies and 12 by Paramount Chiefs elected by fellow Paramount Chiefs in each district; President authorized to appoint up to seven members; independent judiciary

Government leader: Gen. Joseph MOMOH, President (since 28 November 1985); Francis MINAH, First Vice President (since November 1985); A. B. KARMARA, Second Vice President (since November 1985)

Suffrage: universal over age 21

Elections: the Constitution of Sierra Leone Act, 1971, has been replaced by the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1978, which provides for one-party rule

Political parties and leaders: All People’s Congress (APC), headed by Momoh

Communists: no party, although there are a few Communists and a slightly larger number of sympathizers

Member of: AfDB, AIOEC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

NOTE: The information regarding Sierra Leone on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sierra Leone 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sierra Leone 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.