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Paper abstract:

During the 1990’s, a school of thought emerged which emphasised on political decentralisation as the major an effective means to achieve democratisation. In a diverse nation every individual, community, ethnic group requires a political identity along with participation in the decision-making process. Central Asian states have rich ethnic diversity. Diversity and democratic decentralisation are intrinsically related to one another. In decentralised political system, every individual shares the power in political decision-making process. Political participation is a means through which the individual can fulfils his/her socio-political and economic needs. Active political participation promotes political stability and economic development. Kyrgyzstan became an independent country in 1991. As one of the poorest soviet republics, it totally depended of Moscow and faced an economic crisis after the collapse of USSR. As a result, Kyrgyzstan took financial support from the international institutions upon a condition to liberalise, privatise and to adopt democratic decentralisation. After the disintegration of the soviet, it was seen that democracy could not flourish in the Central Asian states due to the lack of democratic decentralisation. Kyrgyzstan is one of the Central Asian States that took steps to establish a democratic system and decentralise its political and administrative authority.

After 1992, Kyrgyzstan adopted a democratic political system, President Aksar Akaev took various steps that promoted political decentralisation at the lowest levels. These local self-governments were given financial autonomy. Under the regime of Akaev free media, political parties and liberal economy was promoted in Kyrgyzstan. The western NGO’s provide aid to several self-local government for basic infrastructure developmental activities. Due to lack of resources and political socialisation the actual meaning of democratic decentralisations could not be achieved. The approach of political elites of Kyrgyzstan towards democratic decentralisation is a full of contradictions.

The paper will look into the role played by democratic decentralisation in the promotion of democracy in Kyrgyzstan. It will critically analyse the role of aid provided by the western countries and several international institutions in deepening the idea of decentralisation. This paper will also analyse the stand-point of Russia and China towards democratic decentralisation and political stability in Kyrgyzstan. This study is based on the rational choice theory. It is based on certain assumptions about actors' motives and their choices. The theory is based on methodological individualism and the assumption of rationality.

Key words: Decentralisation, Democratisation, Kyrgyzstan, Political Socialisation, Political Stability.