In March, the government reached a human rights pact with communist leaders, but a final solution remains elusive. The deal established Nur Misuari, the MNLF leader, as head of a transitional body overseeing development projects in 14 Mindanao provinces, and called for a local plebiscite in 1999 on expanding an existing autonomous region. Political Rights and Civil Liberties Filipinos can change their government democratically, although outside of Manila, much of the country is still largely run along feudal lines, with dominant local clans and landowners holding real power. Elections revolve around personalities rather than issues. While the presidential election appeared to be free and fair, some 17,200 other elections for parliamentary and local seats were marred by vote buying and intimidation, and by violence that killed at least 20 people by election day.
Official corruption is widespread.
Complaints of economic and social discrimination by the country's Christian majority against the Moros, or Muslims who live primarily in Mindanao, have been the underlying cause of insurgencies since the 1970s. In recent years, skirmishes between the army and the MILF in Mindanao and nearby Basilan Island regularly displaced tens of thousands of civilians. The army reportedly indiscriminately bombs and shells villages during counterinsurgency operations, and soldiers loot and burn homes. The MILF and other groups often force villagers to evacuate homes, and operate protection rackets and kidnapping syndicates that mainly target ethnic Chinese businessmen and their families. In 1997, Amnesty International accused the police of torture and ill treatment of criminal suspects.