The Reverse Wave of Democratic Transition in Central Asia: Explaining Political Apathy in Postcommunist Tajikistan

Abstract

Political Apathy is a continuing concern in many regions around the world. Central Asia, consisting of five countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, is not excluded from political apathy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Central Asian countries faced similar problems in political, economic, and social spheres. Unfortunately, the newly independent Tajikistan also faced a bloody civil war that lasted for five years, 1992-1997, and resulted in as many as 40,000-100,000 deaths and displaced more than a million people (Epkenhans 2016, 2). In line with other post-Soviet states, Tajikistan has also tried to begin its path of democratic transition and thus entering into the world community. While initially the people had hoped to see a brighter future of the county, today, they appear to have forgotten about their hopes. One may question what went wrong since the independence of the country to put it in its current path of authoritarianism and its people in the state of apathy. This Thesis is aimed to find answers to the above mentioned question and most importantly to identify the frustrations of Tajikistanis and the main mechanisms that produce apathy among them, through the in-depth interviews and focus groups. In addition, defining the relationship between political apathy and its possible reasons - nepotism and cronyism, the experienced civil war of 1992-1997 as well as the failed peace accord of 1997-is among the main objectives of this Thesis.