The number of refugees grew to 25,000 due to heightened conflict in Senegal's Casamance region. The Government has asked the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to move the Casamance refugees further from the border area, but refugees generally resist this proposal. In 1994 voters were able to freely choose their government for the first time in the nation's history. Local elections have not yet been scheduled. The independent National Commission of Elections has been absorbed by the Ministry of Internal Administration.
Women are underrepresented in the political process.
Eight of the 100 National Assembly Deputies are women, and there is a women's caucus that cuts across party lines. Only 2 of 25 Cabinet members are women. The Government did not interfere with the Guinea-Bissau Human Rights League and international human rights groups which continued to investigate human rights abuses objectively. The League's planned conference on police and prison reform was cancelled for the second consecutive year due to the Government's refusal to allow police to attend. The Government denied the Human Rights League access to prisoners.