Sierra Leone: President, 7 March 2018

At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Sierra Leone

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Ernest Bai KOROMA *
• Head of Government: President Ernest Bai KOROMA
• Assembly: Sierra Leone has a unicameral Parliament with 124 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government. Ernest Bai KOROMA was the president at the time of this election; the current president is Julius Maada BIO. 

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term. If no candidate receives more than 55% of the vote in the first round, a second round is held between the top two candidates.
• In the Parliament, 112 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 12 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms.***

*** 12 seats are filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Samura Matthew Wilson KAMARA
  • Party: All People's Congress (APC)
• Julius Maada BIO
  • Party: Sierra Leone's People Party (SLPP)
• Charles Francis MARGAI
  • Party: People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC)
• SAA Henry KABUTA
  • Party: United National People's Party (UNPP)
• Mohamed Kamaraimba MANSARAY 
  • Party: Alliance Democratic Party
• Samuel SAM-SUMANA 
  • Party: Coalition for Change
• Kandeh Kolleh YUMKELLA
  • Party: National Grand Coalition
• Mohamed SOWA-TURAY
  • Party: United Democratic Movement (UDM)

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 6,043,157 (2012)
• Registered Voters: 2,701,299 (2012)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 3,056,584 (2012)

·         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: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 15 (following the 2012 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: 906,473 (est.)