Jacek Zaleśny
The aim of the present analysis is to show that, in contemporary states where the democratic institution of the referendum is used on the basis of it being the nation’s will, it is possible to build non-democratic power relations, meaning that democratic institutions may be the source of power exercised in a non-democratic way. The analysis focuses on plebiscitary democracy and its accommodation in the countries of post-Soviet Central Asia, i.e., Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. It will help with an understanding of the nature of state leadership, while allowing for a prognosis as regards on-going political changes in the sphere of political stability.