Publication

When the Central Asian countries began to declare their independence, there was not the same popular and elite pressure for independence that was found in the south Caucasus, not to mention in the Baltic region. 20 years later, these five republics have developed into very distinct countries with distinct, if not democratic, political systems. None of the countries, however, have developed institutional mechanisms that provide for the smooth transfer of political power. The author predicts that there will be a lot of high-risk moments in the next decade in Central Asia.