Tandem politics and <i>kusturizatsia</i> : Power and money in contemporary Kyrgyzstan

Drawing on fresh ethnographic research, this article examines how President Japarov and Security Chief Tashiev built their political alliance in post‐2020 Kyrgyzstan. Their ‘tandem’ rule rests on a mix of friendship ties, family bonds and economic control through kusturizatsia – legalized extortion of criminal networks and corrupt officials. Using Sahlins’ concept of reciprocity, I show how money flows form the heart of their power, binding allies through gifts while crushing opponents through force. The tandem's fusion of state authority with criminal enterprise reveals new patterns of authoritarian rule in post‐Soviet space.