The Presidential Center To Replace Nazarbayev Library, Office to Be Liquidated

Against the background of the buzz due to the record budget of the ex-president’s office and its subordinate organization, Orda has received a document that opens the veil of secrecy over what kind of future awaits these institutions. 

The document says that the Ministry of Finance is developing a draft decree providing for the liquidation of the former president’s office and the transfer of the library to the Presidential Affairs Department. All in order to create a presidential center similar to ones in developed countries. 

It should be noted that the draft decree is being agreed upon in state structures. The deadlines are set for September 1, 2023. So what will Kazakhstanis get from this?  

Firstly, the office of the ex-president will be completely liquidated, whereas the library building honoring Nazarbayev will be vacated and reformed under a presidential center. The budget indicated in our previous reports will just go to its new activity. The building inside will embody the merits of not only the previous and current head of state, but also all subsequent ones.

The building is not a library in the traditional sense of the word. It is a document repository, records, collections and other historical materials. It also serves as a museum, cultural, educational and research center.

The USA has the richest experience in such historical heritage. Specialized historical and memorial centers also operate in China, Türkiye, France, Malaysia, Russia, Azerbaijan and other countries.

Presidential libraries in the states contain documents, records, collections and other historical materials belonging to American presidents, starting with Herbert Hoover. There are 13 presidential libraries in the country united in the Presidential library system and administered by the National Archives and Documentation Administration.

"Realizing that the most important and integral part of the national history of any country is the historical heritage of its leaders, the issue of creating a system of preserving the heritage of the presidents and ex-presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan for future generations seems relevant,"

the document says.  

It also says that the library of the ex-president is considered to be the only institution in Kazakhstan with such experience. The authors of the project have therefore proposed to use its potential to accumulate all relevant materials on the presidents.

The project notes that the Library has all the conditions for this:

• Equipped museum and exhibition halls;
• Storage facilities;
• Technical premises;
• Lecture halls;
• Workrooms;
• Trained highly qualified specialists.

After the office of the ex-president is abolished, the presidential center will be transferred as a subordinate institution to the presidential administration. The institution will answer only to the current head of state.

At the beginning of the year, the law "On the first President – Elbasy” became null. The funding of the former president’s office and library will also be reduced. Nazarbayev has also recently lost the status of head of the board of trustees of the university, school, and foundation named after him.

The aforementioned library was created by decree of Nazarbayev on March 13, 2014. The mission of the former president's office is to provide high-quality and timely information, analytical, documentation, organizational, protocol and other support for the activities of the former head of state and the realization of his status.

Original Author: Alexander Smolin

DISCLAIMER: This is a translated piece. The text has been modified, the content is the same. Please refer to the original piece in Russian for accuracy.