LESOTHO (Continued)
legislative branch; judicial—63 Lesotho courts administer customary law for Africans, High Court and subordinate courts have criminal jurisdiction over all residents, Court of Appeal at Maseru has appellate jurisdiction
Government leaders: King MOSHOESHOE II; Prime Minister Chief Leabua JONATHAN
Suffrage: universal for adults
Elections: elections held in January 1970; nullified allegedly because of election irregularities; subsequent elections promised at unspecified date
Political parties and leaders: National Party (BNP), Chief Leabua Jonathan; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu Molchehle
Voting strength: in 1965 elections for National Assembly, BNP won 32 seats; BCP, 22 seats; minor parties, 4 seats
Communists: negligible, Communist Party of Lesotho banned in early 1970
Member of: Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
ECONOMY
GNP: $473.6 million (1979/80), $312 per capita; real growth rate, 5% (1980)
Agriculture: exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Major industries: none
Electric power: approximately 35 million kWh imported from South Africa (1981)
Exports: labor to South Africa (remittances $110 million est. in 1979); $33.7 million (f.o.b., 1979/80), wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, diamonds, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins
Imports: $288.0 million (c.i.f., 1979/80); mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, petroleum, oil, and lubricants
Major trade partner: South Africa
Budget: (FY80) revenues, $137.6 million; current expenditures, $98.2 million; development budget, $84,2 million
Monetary conversion rate: Lesotho uses the South African rand; 1 SA rand=US$ 1.15 (1981)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 16 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of the Republic of South Africa
Highways: approx 4,033 km total; 320 km paved; 1,585 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved, 2,128 km unimproved earth
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airfields: 27 total, 27 usable; 1 with permanent surface runways; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: system a modest one consisting of a few land lines, a small radio-relay system, and minor radio-communication stations; 4,500 telephones (0.3 per 100 popl.); 2 AM stations and 1 FM station; 1 TV station planned
DEFENSE FORCES
Military manpower: males 15–49, 313,000; 167,000 fit for military service
