Elections and political development in Central Asia

Abstract

In the political development of post‐communist Central Asia, the role of elections (or pseudo‐elections) has been of particular interest. Using the rhetoric of consultation, leaders in the region have held a series of elections, plebiscites and referendums, yet it is clear that in none of these were democratic norms fully adhered to and that in many the results were predetermined. Given that they have failed to offer the people adequate representation, or create salient political institutions, the purpose of these exercises can be seen in terms of affirming the positions of elites, recruiting ‘talented political entrepreneurs’, and anaesthetizing the population. These features are explained by the various constraints on political development in Central Asia, including elite concerns over stability, perceived developmental needs, the weakness of a ‘modern’ civil society with its particular values, and international factors.