On April 19, 2022, the honourable retiree, a.k.a the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and still the «leader of the nation» drew attention to himself again. Nursultan Nazarbayev paid a visit to the museum of his own self situated in the country’s capital. The visit was timed to coincide with the painting and handicraft exhibition organised as part of the children’s art festival called «My Kazakhstan — My Home».
Judging by the photographs in the Library’s press-release as well as by the video promptly distributed by the Elbasy’s Instagram press-service, the First President of Kazakhstan is doing quite well (apart from the difficulties to keep balance without a supporting tool).
In our opinion, there is no point in trying to find political undercurrents in this appearance of Kazakhstan’s former «godling» before his ungrateful people. As likely as not, this idea belonged either to the doctors (at Nazarbayev’s age, people do need to have good fun) or to Nazarbayev himself (after the lengthy and involuntary self-isolation, he is probably missing being with people).
On the other hand, however, this visit is bound to be noticed by the members of the ruling elite and those observers who understand the logic of the internal political developments in Kazakhstan.
Why do we think so? Because, for the first time ever, we did not see Abay Bisembayev, the Elbasy’s first aide and perhaps his closest ally of today, standing behind Nazarbayev’s back (or beside him).
On the other hand, we did not stay surprised for long. We have searched Google and learned that Bisembayev has left the post of the Elbasy’s first aide but remains a part of the latter’s immediate circle as a private person. Here is what pro-governmental political expert Danyar Ashimbayev wrote in his article «What’s Happening in the Apparatus of the First President» published on Nomad (quoting): «As we have learned, the Elbasy’s aide Abay Bisembayev has left his post on his own volition».
According to Ashimbayev, as the aide to the First President, Bisembayev was responsible for maintaining the relationship with Tokayev Administration and the prompt managing of the problem areas that had surfaced during the first months of the transition. Apart from that, he had to deal with the attempts of the big businesses and oligarchs to appeal to the authority of the First President in their resisting Tokayev’s reforms.
We do not know what Ashimbayev’s sources are but, according to him, «Bisembayev believed his task to be accomplished and left state service» since «at the current stage of the country’s political development, the transfer of the authorities and responsibilities from Nazarbayev to Tokayev has basically been completed». «At the same time, Bisembayev remains a part of the First President’s entourage albeit in an unofficial capacity».
We at KZ.expert believe Abay Bisembayev’s exit had nothing to do with him no longer being «useful» for Nazarbayev and his family. Rather, it was the other way round. We are certain that, after his resignation, Bisembayev has become an even more important figure in the Elbasy’s entourage than before.
Why? Because Bisembayev is likely to be assigned to manage the foreign and Kazakh assets of Nazarbayev, his third wife and their two sons until the necessity persists (we have written on this here.
The thing is that, after Nursultan Nazarbayev had put Karim Masimov up to be grilled by the Kazakh authorities, two of the areas important to him began sagging down — Indochina (or the assets in Hong Kong, Singapore and order countries of the region) and the east (or the UAE assets).
Perhaps this was the reason for dismissing on March 18, 2022, Daniyar Akishev, former chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, from the post of the presidential aide. And now it looks like Abay Bisembayev, too, has reached his glory hour.
You will recall that, in our publication «Nazarbayev’s Deal with Tokayev», we have suggested that Daniyar Akishev could very easily be in Hong Kong doing the field work, so to speak. If our assumption is correct, it means that Nazarbayev is building a new asset management structure in which Bisembayev will be responsible for general management, in other words, will become not just a respected and influential but a very rich man. For, managing tens billion dollars worth of assets is a very worthy thing in itself.
