This further reduced the role of the country s 60 opposition parties in shaping national policy. State patronage boosted ruling party fortunes as the CDP took 101 of 111 national assembly seats. Training and proper administration of justice are also hampered by a lack of resources. National security laws permit surveillance and arrests without warrants. Police routinely ignore proscribed limits on detention, search, and seizure.
Prison conditions are harsh, with overcrowding, poor diets, and minimal medical attention.
Freedom of assembly is constitutionally protected and generally respected, with required permits usually issued routinely. Burkina Faso is a secular state, and religious freedom is respected. A dozen private radio stations, a private television station, and numerous independent newspapers and magazines function with little governmental interference. The media, which are often highly critical of the government, play an important role in public debate. Customary law sanctions discrimination against women and is used by traditional courts to resolve civil and family disputes, especially in rural areas, and constitutional and legal protections for women s rights are nonexistent or poorly enforced.