At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Sierra Leone

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH *
• Head of Government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH
• Assembly: Sierra Leone has a unicameral Parliament with 124 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Parliament, 112 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms and 12 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms.***

*** The 12 paramount chiefs are indirectly elected to represent the 12 provincial districts.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Ahmad Tejan KABBA
  • Party: Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP)
• Ernest Bai KOROMA
  • Party: All People's Congress (APC)
• Johnny Paul KOROMA
  • Party: Peace and Liberation Party (PLP)
• Pallo BANGURA
  • Party: Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP)
• Other Candidates
  • Party: N/A

Last Presidential election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held February 26-27, 1996.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 4,422,154 (2002)
• Registered Voters: 2,342,547 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,240,265 (2002)

·         Is Sierra Leone a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (21 September 1988)

·         Has Sierra Leone ratified CEDAW: Yes (11 November 1988)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 18 (following the 2002 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 181 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Sierra Leone a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Sierra Leone ratified CRPD: Yes (4 October 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 663,323 (est.)