Part 424

Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); the king is the former Crown Prince David Monato BERENG Seeiso and succeeded his father King MOSHOESHOE II, who died in an automobile accident on 16 January 1996; King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne (November 1990 to February 1995) while his father was in exile note: the king is a hereditary monarch, but, under the terms of the constitution which came into effect after the March 1993 election, he has no executive or legislative powers; moreover, under traditional law the king can be elected or deposed by a majority vote of the College of Chiefs head of government: Prime Minister Ntsu MOKHEHLE (since 2 April 1993) cabinet: Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: consists of 33 members (the 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) Assembly: members elected by popular vote; election last held NA March 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats (65 total) BCP 65

Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court

Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party (BNP), Evaristus SEKHONYANA; Basotho Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Vincent MALEBO; United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), Jacob M. KENA

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Eunice M. BULANE chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 797-5533 through 5536 FAX: (202) 234-6815

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Bismarck MYRICK embassy: address NA, Maseru mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: 312666 FAX: 310116

Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner

Economy -------

Economic overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from laborers employed in South Africa (these remittances supplement domestic income by as much as 45%). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor; a large portion of the adult male work force is employed in South African mines. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products which support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. Although drought has decreased agricultural activity over the past few years, improvement of a major hydropower facility will permit the sale of water to South Africa and will support the economy's continued expansion.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.8 billion (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 13.5% (1994 est.)

GDP per capita: $1,430 (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 10.4% industry: 48.8% services: 40.8% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (January 1995)

Labor force: 689,000 economically active by occupation: 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Unemployment rate: substantial unemployment and underemployment

Budget: revenues: $445 million expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $128 million (FY94/95 est.)

Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 12.5% (1994 est.)

Electricity: power supplied by South Africa

Agriculture: corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Exports: $142 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: clothing, furniture, footwear, wool partners: South Africa 39%, EC 22%, North and South America 33% (1993)

Imports: $1 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products partners: South Africa 83%, Asia 12%, EC 3% (1993)

External debt: $512 million (1993)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA