Short facts about the government of Liberia
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short
form: Liberia |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative divisions: |
13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa,
Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado,
Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe |
| Independence: |
26 July
1847 |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 26 July
(1847) |
| Constitution: |
6 January
1986 |
| Legal
system: |
dual system of statutory law based on
Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on
unwritten tribal practices for indigenous
sector |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of
government: President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and
confirmed by the Senate
elections: president elected by popular
vote for a six-year term (renewable); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to
be held NA July 2003)
election results: Charles Ghankay TAYLOR
elected president; percent of vote - Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (NPP) 75.3%, Ellen
Johnson SIRLEAF (UP) 9.6%, Alhaji KROMAH (ALCOP) 4%, other
11.1% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral National Assembly consists of
the Senate (26 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms)
and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve six-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 19 July 1997
(next to be held in NA 2006); House of Representatives - last held 19 July 1997
(next to be held in NA 2003)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 21, UP 3, ALCOP 2; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 49, UP 7,
ALCOP 3, Alliance of Political Parties 2, UPP 2, LPP 1; note - the Alliance of
Political Parties was a coalition of the LAP and the Liberia Unification Party
or LUP |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme
Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
All Liberia Coalition Party or ALCOP
[Lusinee KAMARA]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [Cletus WOTORSON]; Liberian
National Union or LINU [Henry MONIBA, chairman]; Liberian People's Party or LPP
[Togba-Nah TIPOTEH, chairman]; National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL
[Isaac DAKINAH]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR] -
governing party; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Chea CHEAPOO, chairman];
Reformation Alliance Party or RAP [Henry Boimah FAHNBULLEH, chairman]; True Whig
Party or TWP [Rudolph SHERMAN, chairman]; United People's Party or UPP [Gabriel
Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman]; Unity Party or UP [Charles
Clarke] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador William BULL
chancery: 5201 16th Street
NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202)
723-0437
FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
consulate(s)
general: New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Bismarck MYRICK
embassy: 111 United
Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, Monrovia
mailing
address: use embassy street address
telephone: [231] 226-370
through 226-380
FAX: [231]
226-148 |
| Flag
description: |
11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top
and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue
square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US
flag | Source: World Factbook |
