Ethnocultural division, unconsolidated borders and institutional reforms: the Kyrgyz experience

The study investigated the role and the capacity of institutional reforms in mitigating chronic political instability in Kyrgyzstan, which often manifests itself in mass protests, ethnopolitical conflicts and border disputes. Combining macro-historical, macro-sociological and institutional approaches into a research framework allowed the authors to focus on such root causes of instability as ethnocultural divides and unconsolidated centers and borders. The analysis of the institutional reforms with pro-democratic and pro-authoritarian models led to the conclusion that with the current general lack of material and financial resources the political system responds rather weakly to any institutional changes while the expectations and orientations of the society are rather flexible. Thus, the situation suggests a rather pragmatic approach in strengthening the cooperation with Russia on bilateral basis as well as within such regional organizations as the Eurasian Economic Union, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Collective Security Treaty Organization rather than choosing a multivector foreign policy that is currently declared by the Kyrgyz elites.