This report was written following extensive consultations with leading democratic actors in Burkina Faso and regional experts. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the political system in Burkina Faso, and identifies key stumbling-blocks to political development, including the monopoly of power by the majority party, the administration of the judicial system, the organisation of elections, and the lack of a strong opposition. The report recommends change in six areas such as state reform, including decentralisation of government authority; consolidation of the rule of law, particularly in the constitution and the administration of the judicial system; and expansion of the democratic culture in civil society, especially among women. The report also gives an analysis and makes recommendations about the electoral system.