After personalism: rethinking power transfers in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Anceschi, L. (2021) After personalism: rethinking power transfers in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 51(4), pp. 660-680. (doi: 10.1080/00472336.2020.1772853)

Abstract

What happens to elites when the personalistic leader they supported for so long suddenly dies? This article tackles comparatively transitions out of first presidencies in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, presenting an analytical framework that seeks to explain why these transitions unfolded in relatively smooth fashion. The overall stability defining power transfer processes instigated by the non-violent death of personalistic rulers in both contexts is explained here through the intersection of three key factors: the regimes’ resort to succession practices consolidated in the Soviet era, the emergence of temporary forms of collective decision-making in both transitional contexts, and the implementation of de-personalisation strategies pursuing the obliteration of specific pockets of cadres but stopping short of wider regime re-organisation. The findings of this article contribute to broader debates on the politics of de-personalisation, while putting forward a comprehensive framework to analyse transitions out of personalism in and beyond post-Soviet Eurasia.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Anceschi, Professor Luca
• Authors: Anceschi, L.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Central and East European Studies
• Journal Name: Journal of Contemporary Asia
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 0047-2336
• ISSN (Online): 1752-7554
• Published Online: 02 July 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Journal of Contemporary Asia
• First Published: First published in Journal of Contemporary Asia 51(4):660-680
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy