Local Politics in Kyrgyzstan’s Mining Sector: The Role of Local Institutions in The Conflict Between the Local Population with the Mining Company in Maidan Village

Abstract

While the government of the Kyrgyz Republic prioritizes the development of the mining sector in the National Sustainable Development Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic 2013-2017, stating that mining is one of the promising sectors of economy, which not only contributes to the budget, but also creates employment and develops rural areas, extraction work on several mining sites is impeded by the local anti-mining movements. Local population protests against development of mines primarily over environmental considerations. In reaction to the protests, the head officials blame local governance institutions for not working with the population. Indeed, as mediatory bodies between the local population and the state, local governance institutions are expected to articulate relationships of the local community with the foreign actor. The current work aims to explore the reasons for limited or negative participation of local governance institutions in policy implementation on the case of conflict over Shambesai mining project in Maydan, Batken oblast, Kyrgyzstan. The research seeks to understand the role of local institutions in mediating policy. In addition, the research applies theoretical assumptions by the three scholars for analyzing the findings. The study finds that despite of the conventional advantages of community-based resource management, incorporation of local institutions into national resource management is not straightforward. And although the central government representatives blame the local governance institutions for the lack of involvement in the conflict, local self-governance bodies do not possess sufficient authority and resources in order to substantively impact conflict mitigation.