Socio-Cultural Characteristics of Civil Society Formation in Kyrgyzstan Anvar Bugazov SILK ROAD PAPER July 2013 Socio-Cultural Characteristics of Civil Society Formation in Kyrgyzstan Anvar Bugazov © Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program – A Joint Transatlantic Research and Policy Center Johns Hopkins University-SAIS, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 Institute for Security and Development Policy, V. Finnbodav. 2, Stockholm-Nacka 13130, Sweden www.silkroadstudies.org “Socio-Cultural Characteristics of Civil Society Formation in Kyrgyzstan” is a Silk Road Paper published by the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program. The Silk Road Papers Series is the Occasional Paper series of the Joint Center, and addresses topical and timely subjects. The Joint Center is a transatlantic independent and non-profit research and policy center. It has offices in Washington and Stockholm and is affiliated with the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University and the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy. It is the first institution of its kind in Europe and North America, and is firmly established as a leading research and policy center, serving a large and diverse community of analysts, scholars, policy-watchers, business leaders, and journalists. The Joint Center is at the forefront of research on issues of conflict, security, and development in the region. Through its applied research, publications, research cooperation, public lectures, and seminars, it functions as a focal point for academic, policy, and public discussion regarding the region. The opinions and conclusions expressed in this study are those of the author only, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Joint Center or its sponsors. © Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program, 2013 ISBN: 978-91-86635-63-3 Printed in Singapore Distributed in North America by: The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel. +1-202-663-7723; Fax. +1-202-663-7785 E-mail: [email protected] Distributed in Europe by: The Silk Road Studies Program Institute for Security and Development Policy V. Finnbodavägen 2, SE-13130 Stockholm-Nacka E-mail: [email protected] Editorial correspondence should be addressed to Mamuka Tsereteli, Head of Research and Publications, at either of the addresses above (preferably by e-mail). Table of Contents Preface ............................................................................................................................. 5 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 10 Civil Society: Theoretical Prerequisites ..................................................................... 13 Political System ............................................................................................... 14 Civil Society ..................................................................................................... 15 Civil Society and the State ............................................................................. 21 The Place and Role of Traditionalism in the System of Social Relations in Kyrgyzstan ..................................................................................................................... 25 Freedom ........................................................................................................... 26 Nomadic People, Tribal Relations and Contradictions ...............................29 The Town-Village Dichotomy ...................................................................... 38 Transformation of Individuals into Citizens (Individualism and Collectivism) ................................................................................................... 40 The Clan System as an Obstacle on the Path of Civil Society Formation ........... 52 Party Structure ................................................................................................. 53 Parties and Clans ............................................................................................. 54 Personification of Power ................................................................................. 56 The System of Power and Its Organizational Principles in Kyrgyz Society ...... 65 Power and the Aims of Power ........................................................................ 65 The Ruling Family .......................................................................................... 70 The Traditional State ..................................................................................... 76 The Political Elite ........................................................................................... 78 Crime and Power ............................................................................................. 81 Two Systems of Government ........................................................................ 83 Problems in Education and Religion within a Nascent Civil Society .................. 86 Level of Education .......................................................................................... 87 Religion and Power ......................................................................................... 97 Parliamentary or Presidential Republic: Pros and Cons ........................................ 104 Parliamentarianism and Presidential Republic: a Look Into the Future .. 104 Features of Eurasian Civil Society ................................................................ 111 Looking into the Future: Socio-Cultural Factors Contributing to Civil Society Development in Kyrgyzstan ..................................................................................... 117 Development Scenarios .................................................................................. 117 Social and Cultural Factors ............................................................................ 119 Globalization ................................................................................................... 121 Tolerance ........................................................................................................ 124 Multi-Ethnicity .............................................................................................. 126 Intercultural Communication ...................................................................... 129 Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................ 132 Author Bio ................................................................................................................... 135 Preface Kyrgyzstan is among the most attractive lands at the “heart of Asia,” populated by people notable for their enquiring minds, flexibility, and openness. No wonder that since gaining independence in 1992 it has attracted so many ardent admirers abroad. But nowadays many of these champions of Kyrgyz development are puzzled and frustrated at what they see. This Silk Road Paper should be essential reading for any businessman, diplomat, foreign parliamentarian, or civil society activist visiting Kyrgyzstan. Indeed, Kyrgyz themselves, who are never at a loss for words when called upon to explain their country’s fate, will benefit from reading this slim volume. Why? Because in no country of the former Soviet Union is there a wider gap between high expectations and current realities than in the Kyrgyz republic. At the same time, current efforts to achieve the country’s lofty aspirations are so dogged that watchers everywhere are eager for insights on the prospects for success. This study provides those insights. In this closely argued yet absolutely clear and accessible study, Anvar Bugazov explains what might be called the “Kyrgyz paradox”. In the process he not only clarifies Kyrgyzstan’s worrisome recent history and future prospects but offers insights of value to anyone interested in what societies anywhere must do if they seek to disentangle themselves from an authoritarian past. Professor Bugazov is the ideal person to have undertaken this research. He is a thoroughly modern political scientist who is steeped in the theory and methodology of modern western research in the social sciences. At the same time he is a true son of Kyrgyzstan, with deep connections with, and concerns for, the object of his study. This combination of objectivity and passionate engagement enables him to write with insight and passion. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the establishment of independence, Kyrgyzstan became the poster child of all those who dreamed of a true “civil society” arising on former Soviet soil. Such enthusiasts claimed that heroic traditions of nomadism, which rewarded individual initiative and empowered 6 Anvar Bugazov women yet placed a premium on group cohesion, would speed a smooth transition from top-down Communist centralization to political pluralism and a civil society. Conveniently excluded from this rosy picture was the fact that both Kazakhs and Turkmen also had comparatively recent traditions of nomadism yet were evolving in sharply different directions than those expected of Kyrgyzstan. Bugazov delves into the deep wellsprings of Kyrgyz political behavior. He lays bare the dynamics