The president of the Republic of Sierra Leone is the

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...

and the

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

, as well as the commander-in-chief of the

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. As the head of the

executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems ...

of the Sierra Leone government, the president implements laws passed by parliament. The president has influence especially over members of the party of the president in the

legislative branch A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

of Parliament. The president constitutionally appoints judges of the Sierra Leone

Judicial branch The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

, including judges of the high court, the

court of appeals A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much ...

and the Supreme Court. The president heads a Cabinet of ministers, which must be approved by the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

. The president is the most powerful, and the most influential person in the Government of Sierra Leone. The president of Sierra Leone is formally addressed as

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder usually retains the ri ...

Eligibility for Office of the President

* At least 40 years of age * Sierra Leone citizen * Active membership in political party * Fulfills all other requirements to serve in parliament

Vacancy in the Office of the President

The Sierra Leone President’s Office will become vacant if * The president serves over two five-year terms * Current officeholder dies or retires from office * President participates in misconduct or is physically or mentally unable to complete the duties of the presidency During times of war, a president’s term may be extended beyond the pre-determined two five-year terms, but only in increments in half a year at any one time Resignations or retirements from the office of the presidency must be given in writing. Written resignations will be given to the Chief Justice. A copy of the resignation will be given to the Speaker and Chief Electoral Commissioner. Any factors resulting in vacancy of presidency will result in vice-president taking on duties of the presidency and finishing out the affected president’s term. Prior to beginning duties of the presidency, the vice-president shall take the proper oath as outlined in the Constitution of Sierra Leone. The president of Sierra Leone is automatically: (Source: https://statehouse.gov.sl/) * Head of state * Head of Executive branch * Head of Armed Forces * Head of Cabinet with Parliament approval His address is known to be “His Excellency” and is a partnered appointee of Parliament.

Election

The election is through a cycle of 5 consecutive years/terms. The president is elected by an absolute majority vote and has two different rounds in which he is elected through, but has to be met with a certain step by step criteria: * Appointed by his own political party * All voters and appointees be registered in Sierra Leone * Polls be taken on secret ballot at specific date and time by Parliament * Must result in one nomination of presidency * If nominee passes, party organizers have seven days exactly to nominate runner up * The poll majority must reach a 55% approval rating * If tied, the default of the election winner shall go to a second-round election within fourteen days. The president's election must take place during the state of his office, in which the former’s would be expired following a three-month period.

Benefits and Annual Pay

According to the Sierra Leone Constitution, the president receives entitlement and compensation salary within the office he upholds such as: * Receiving a salary and allowance as prescribed by Parliament and charged on a Consolidated Fund * Salary and allowances cannot be altered to a disadvantage or advantage * Exempted of personal taxes * Cannot be criminal charged while in office * Entitled to pension and retirement benefits prescribed by Parliament

Administrative Powers

* With advice from the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, the president is able to appoint the members of the Judicature such as the Supreme Court’s chief justice * The president appoints the Ministers of State that make up the cabinet if they have been approved by the parliament * The president has the power to appoint numerous members of the government such as the members of the Judicature including the Supreme Court's Chief Justice as well as other judges that make up the Judicature with the advisement of the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, and the Ministers of State. Though the president is able to appoint these positions, those appointed will still need to be approved by the parliament in order to hold those positions.

Residence

The President of Sierra Leone official and principal workplace is at State House, located in

Tower Hill Tower Hill is the area surrounding the Tower of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is infamous for the public execution of high status prisoners from the late 14th to the mid 18th century. The execution site on the higher gro ...

in central

Freetown Freetown is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educ ...

, the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of Sierra Leone. The president of Sierra Leone has two official residences. The first is at

State Lodge The State Lodge is the official residence of the President of Sierra Leone and is located in the affluent neighborhood of Hill Station in the west end of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown. Sierra Leone's president, the First Lady of Sierra Leone and ...

, located in the affluent

neighborhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...

Hill Station A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The term was used mostly in colonial Asia (particularly in India), but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by European colonialists as refuges ...

in the west end of Freetown; the second is at Kabassa Lodge, located in the affluent neighborhood of Juba Hill in the west end of Freetown. The current president Julius Maada Wonie Bio uses the

as his official residence. The former president of Sierra Leone

Ahmad Tejan Kabbah Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (February 16, 1932 – March 13, 2014) was a Sierra Leonean politician who served twice as the 3rd President of Sierra Leone, from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007. An economist and attorney by profession, K ...

used State Lodge as his residence. Former Sierra Leone presidents

Joseph Saidu Momoh Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh, OOR, OBE (January 26, 1937 – August 3, 2003) served as President of Sierra Leone from November 1985 to 29 April 1992. Early life and education Joseph Saidu Momoh was born on January 26, 1937, in Binkolo, B ...

and

Siaka Stevens Siaka Probyn Stevens (24 August 1905 – 29 May 1988) was the leader of Sierra Leone from 1967 to 1985, serving as Prime Minister from 1967 to 1971 and as President from 1971 to 1985. Stevens' leadership was often characterized by patrimonial ...

used the Kabassa Lodge at Juba Hill as their official residence.

Security and protection

The president of Sierra Leone is heavily guarded by the Presidential Guard, which is made up of a special unit of

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

of the

Sierra Leone Armed Forces The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) are the armed forces of Sierra Leone, responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's borders and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone, within the framework of the 1991 Si ...

and a special unit of police officers of the Operational Support Division of the Sierra Leone Police Force.

Presidential Constitutional History

Siaska Stevens was representing the All People’s Congress (APC) party in 1967 when he won the general elections and became the Prime Minister. In 1971, the parliamentary system was abolished in favor of a presidential system. This adoption of a new constitution made Siaska Stevens the first executive President of Sierra Leone. Eventually, the APC would become the only recognized political party in the country. In 1978, a new constitution was adopted via referendum. This constitution replaced the multi-party system, instituting a single party state. Additionally, executive powers were increased and the presidential term limits increased from four to seven years. In October of 1990, President Momoh appointed a thirty-five member National Constitutional Review Commission. This was in response to the growing opposition of a one-party state. The review commission recommends constitutional changes, providing alternatives to the one-party state.

List of presidents

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:President Of Sierra Leone Government of Sierra Leone History of Sierra Leone

1971 establishments in Sierra Leone Lists of Sierra Leonean people Sierra Leone politics-related lists