Agrarian Reform of Tajikistan: Weak Governance Diluted Donor Intentions

• Published in: 글로벌정치연구, 17(1) pp. 85 - 107
• Main Author: 이혜진
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 글로벌정치연구소 01.06.2024
• Subjects: 정치외교학
• ISSN: 2005-1352; 2671-8499
• DOI: 10.35773/JGP.2024.17.1.85

Governance of a recipient country likely affects aid efficacy and internal reallocation of aid resources in the country. Tajikistan, a Central Asian country ruled by a corrupt authoritarian regime, is an interesting context in foreign aid. Taking particular interests in foreign aid that supported Tajik farmland restructuring and cotton-sector privatization, this article shows Tajik authorities and elites were agile aid players: they were able to elude fulfilling donor-imposed aid conditions while keeping donors from interfering implementation of domestic agrarian policies. Several factors appeared to influence aid outcomes that were highly favorable to Tajik elites: donors’ initial promotion of liberal-democratic state building instead of prioritizing the 1997 peace agreement, geostrategic importance of Tajikistan for regional security concerns, institutional leeway for aid manipulation, and local elites’ capacity to take advantage of their authorities. Donors interacting with Tajikistan should fully understand de facto political workings on the ground to avoid their aid inadvertently helping Tajik elites strengthen their political and economic clout. KCI Citation Count: 0