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General elections were held in Basutoland on 29 April 1965. The result was a narrow victory for the Basotholand National Party, which led the country to independence as Lesotho on 4 October the following year. [1] Voter turnout was 62.8%. [2]
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General elections were held in Basutoland on 29 April 1965. The result was a narrow victory for the Basotholand National Party, which led the country to independence as Lesotho on 4 October the following year. [1] Voter turnout was 62.8%. [2]
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basutoland National Party | 108,140 | 42.01 | 31 | +30 | |
| Basutoland Congress Party | 103,068 | 40.04 | 25 | –5 | |
| Marematlou Freedom Party | 40,414 | 15.70 | 4 | New | |
| Marema-Tlou Party | 5,697 | 2.21 | 0 | –5 | |
| Independents | 79 | 0.03 | 0 | –4 | |
| Total | 257,398 | 100.00 | 60 | –20 | |
| Valid votes | 257,398 | 98.31 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 4,426 | 1.69 | |||
| Total votes | 261,824 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 416,952 | 62.79 | |||
| Source: Nohlen et al. | |||||
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