Burkina Faso is a constitutional republic ruled by an elected president. Joint legislative/municipal elections took place in December 2012, and despite some irregularities and the resource advantage held by the ruling party, international observers considered the elections to have been free and transparent. The president, assisted by members of the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) party, continued to dominate the government. Authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. There were instances in which security forces committed human rights abuses. The most significant human rights problems included security force use of excessive force against civilians and detainees; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; and violence and discrimination against women and children, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Other human rights problems included arbitrary arrest and detention; judicial inefficiency and lack of independence; official corruption; trafficking in persons; discrimination against persons with disabilities; societal violence; discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community; and forced labor, including by children. The government took steps to prosecute police and military personnel accused of human rights abuse, but impunity remained a problem.