Saakashvili. Why Odessa

Ex-President of Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili, appointed by the Governor of the Odessa region, held the first personnel permits: Zurab Adeishvili, who previously held the post of general prosecutor of Georgia, was the new prosecutor of the region

Almost two weeks have passed since the day of Georgia, a decree of the President of Ukraine headed one of the key regions of the country. By and large, the news of the appointment of Mikhail Saakashvili by the governor of the Odessa region for political party in Kyiv was no surprise: he spent a long time in the capital, talked closely with President Peter Poroshenko, lobbied his associates to the executive authorities, and by the way, even before the idea of ​​governor was born, nominated the presidential in anti -corruption in anti -corruption Bureau.

Nevertheless, to today, two key questions remain open: why it was decided to entrust Saakashvili to Odessa, and why right now?

The back of one resignation of the predecessor of Saakashvili as the head of the Odessa Regional State Administration (OGA) Igor Palitsa. The business partner and a close friend of the disgraced oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, the club was preparing “to the exit” from the moment of dismissal from the post of head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration of Kolomoisky himself, and this happened, as we recall, at the end of March. According to sources in the administration of the President of Ukraine, the club even wrote a statement, but he was told that “for the period of the May holidays Odessa cannot be left without a“ head ”.

The club itself does not confirm this information, however, the truth is that on the anniversary of the tragic events (May 2, 2014) in the Odessa House of Trade Unions, the Ukrainian authorities really fear in the city of possible unrest and provocations. While the club, who used the same methods that Kolomoisky in Dnepropetrovsk at one time - work with private security structures, dubious contacts (officially, of course, no one ever confirmed) with local criminals - he acted as a guarantor of relative calm in the city.

One way or another, the current dismissal of the club is the continuation of the war between the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky and President Petro Poroshenko. Even after the resignation, Kolomoisky retains a serious influence on his native region. His business interests are concentrated here, in addition, the close ally of Kolomoisky Svyatoslav Oleinik remained to work in the OGA already under the new Dnipropetrovsk governor Valentina Reznichenko.

Oleinik is the leader of the Maybutnoyo party (Ukraine of the Future). It is with its help that Kolomoisky’s people intend to give their “answer” to Kyiv in the next local elections scheduled for October 25, 2015. However, not only with her help. The sphere of interests of Kolomoisky also includes Kharkov (Odoed mayor of Kharkov, Gennady Kernes, is close to Igor Valerievich), Zaporizhzhya and Odessa regions.

Odessa interest in Odessa Group "Privat" Igor Kolomoisky controls several large oil refineries, its strategic interest is control over Odessa oil refining, which the state intends to nationalize.

One of the detonators of the Palica resignation right now was the sensational video of the Ukrainian comedy group “Studio of the 95th Studio”. The new concert "Quarter" was broadcast by the 1+1 television channel, owned by Kolomoisky. In miniature, the “quarters” showed their version of how Poroshenko dismissed Kolomoisky. The scene is the most severe satire on President Poroshenko, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk and Mayor of Kyiv Vitaly Klitschko. The scene was quickly dismantled for quotes, its fragments are now vividly discussed from the highest cabinets of Kyiv to the shopping rows on the Odessa Privoz. In Ukraine, the “95th” quarter has long become an electoral tool.

Silently tolerate public humiliation on Bankova did not endure, and on May 29, Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on the replacement of the club on Saakashvili.

It is significant that the main speaker on the topic of the resignation of Igor Palitsa was not Palice himself (his phone did not answer that evening), but personally by Igor Kolomoisky. “Someone did not like the video“ Quarter ”about my resignation, they decided to make a second double,” he said categorically in an exclusive comment of LB.ua. Saakashvili Kolomoisky called the figure “strange”, expressing the confidence that he would “give Odessa to Odessa”, without justifying, however, what exactly he means.

From Odessa to the "candy" in Odessa, Mikhail Saakashvili was also surprised. “Your editorial office is in shock and so far it will not comment on what happened,” it came under the corresponding news on one of the main Odessa Internet resources of Duma.net. At the same time, a video from the official YouTube channel Mikhail Saakashvili, on which he “celebrates the Embroidery Day with Odessaites”, warmly communicating with the townspeople began to spread on the Internet.

In the light of the purpose of Saakashvili, it is important to understand the following. His position is the head of the regional state administration. This means that the area of ​​responsibility of Mr. Saakashvili is the whole area, and not just its administrative center. During his first public speech as the head of the OG, Saakashvili said that Odessa initially had much more favorable “starting conditions” than Batumi, which means turning it into “candy” will be much easier. This is true: along with Lvov and Kiev, Odessa for many years - the largest tourist center of Ukraine. In the last year - after the annexation of Crimea - it became the main "sea resort" of the country.

From the capital, a high -speed track leads here, urban infrastructure is well developed and fully adapted to reception of guests from around the world.

And although additional improvements are still necessary, they will not be so noticeable.

But the Odessa region is a very specific and not the most prosperous region. Its main feature is a motley ethnic component of a multiplied by long -standing separatist sentiments. Bulgarians, Gagauz, Moldavians - all this patchwork blanket must be held together.

The call of Moscow in Russia news about the appointment of Saakashvili was met extremely negatively. A year ago, the Odessa region was considered by Moscow as a potential focus of instability - along with Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkov regions. The manifestations of separatism in Kharkov and Odessa then managed to stop, but this does not mean that they went to “no”. Given the “special attitude” of Belokamennaya to the figure of Mr. Saakashvili, it is logical to assume: his appointment is a kind of challenge of Kyiv to Moscow, and this challenge, there can be no doubt, will facilitate stability in the Odessa region.

Another significant factor is the need for Saakashvili to act in the format of the power vertical. According to Ukrainian legislation, governors are accountable to the Cabinet of Ministers. In fact, they are the main representatives of the executive branch in the field. Saakashvili was accustomed to act independently, without looking at someone and the need to pull a single WHO with the central authority, which means to share responsibility for its actions-cannot but give rise to problems. At least - communication.

Will Saakashvili be able to cope with risks? The ex-president of Georgia is known as a tribune politician, a genius of its kind PR. But to focus in Odessa only on “window activity” would be his colossal mistake for him.