Published: June, 2017
Authors: Aksana Ismailbekova
As Kyrgyzstan constructs a modern national identity, a social institution long considered to be a vestige of the past—lineage identity—continues to exert significant influence over the present-day processes. This fact needs to be recognized and addressed. Lineage affiliations have gained new relevance in Kyrgyz society in the post-Soviet era. Most ethnic Kyrgyz people can trace their descent to one of 40 lineage groupings, each with a common geographic origin, graves, unique history and genealogy. Some have now chosen to affirm these ties by creating informal lineage associations that exert behind-the-scenes influence over daily life, as well as in national politics. Most importantly, lineage associations hold significant power to mobilize voters, control patronage, and organize protests. In essence, they can function as lobby groups, or even rudimentary political parties that reach deep into local and regional institutions. At the same time, lineage associations are increasingly striving for greater recognition in Kyrgyz politics and society. Some advocate for a formal constitutional role, including the creation of a special governmental assembly to represent them. Despite wielding considerable influence, kinship associations largely operate in the political shadows. The country’s law on public associations restricts such groups from engaging in open political activity. I argue that lineage associations function as a kind of constraint and control mechanism on the political sphere, ensuring that no single leader is able to gain sufficient enough power to become a dictator, and at times also help to contain local corruption. Kyrgyzstan is not the only society in the region (or in the world) to consist of myriad lineage groups. One can see the emergence of the lineage groups in other Central Asian societies and elsewhere in the world (Lewis 2004; Hoehne 2016), but the Kyrgyzstan’s exceptional in the way in which they have begun to come out of the closet and into open politics in the post-Soviet context.
