| Summary/Abstract |
The main role in these processes belongs to the local ethnopolitical elite (regional heads and their closest circles, business elites, clergy, etc.), who also rely on traditional ethnic institutions, national culture and time-honored practices, another source of influence on the masses. The federal Center has to take into account the interests of the ethnopolitical elites rooted in clan, family, and teip solidarity and realized through informal patron-client relationships. The elite’s closeness and durability are significantly slowing down the democratic processes in the region and interfering with the development of civil institutions.
|