THE ANDIJON EVENTS: DEMAND FOR MORE DEVELOPMENT OR THREAT TO STABILITY?

Abstract

The Andijon events created question marks about the economic and political development situation in Uzbekistan. Whereas the Uzbek government and some scholars defined the events as an extremist and Islamic uprising threatening stability, opposition groups in Uzbekistan, and some academics interpreted the events as demands for more economic and political development. In the domestic politics of Uzbekistan, there is no room for secular and democratic opposition which helps people to express their discontent. Since the democratic and secular parties are banned, the government can easily accuse its opponents of being members of radical Islamist groups and tighten up its authoritarian regime. On the other hand, the economic development situation in Uzbekistan is also another source of discontent since there is not a trickle down effect of economic welfare both among the regions of the country and between rural and urban areas. The Andijon events destabilized the country, but the motivations of the events were the product of the undeveloped political and economic record of the country

Keywords

• Uzbekistan, Andijon Events, Economic and Political Development, Democratization, Trickle Down Effect