The resignation of Mikhail Saakashvili. What's happened?

The governor of the Odessa region Mikhail Saakashvili on Monday November 7 resigned. The former Georgian president spoke about his decision at a briefing in Odessa. Saakashvili criticized the central Ukrainian authorities, saying: “It makes no difference who will rob Ukrainians - Poroshenko or Yanukovych.” Now, most likely, he will lead the political party "Hwil" ("Wave"). Medusa talks about what he managed to do in the position of governor and why he quit.

Saakashvili began a political career in Ukraine as an adviser to the president. At first, in December 2014, Saakashvili was offered to become Deputy Prime Minister in the Ukrainian government-this purpose would continue the logic of invitation to key posts of foreigners. The former President of Georgia did not accept the proposal, because in order to become Deputy Prime Minister, he should have abandoned Georgian citizenship. In February 2015, Saakashvili became adviser to President Petro Poroshenko, and already in May transferred to the post of governor of the Odessa region. On May 29, the day before his appointment, Saakashvili nevertheless received Ukrainian citizenship. In December 2015, on the basis of this, Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili deprived his predecessor of Georgian citizenship.

Odessa was supposed to become a “pilot project of reform” in the country, but in the end the reform was stalled. Saakashvili called his priorities the fight against corruption, especially at customs - traditionally, this is one of the most corrupt bodies in the structure of the Ukrainian government. The regional authority was to become the most open in the country; In Odessa, Saakashvili promised to develop tourist potential as much as possible.

The former President of Georgia gained foreigners to his team - his advisers were Russian Maria Gaidar and former Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Sasha Borovik, a German citizen. The prosecutor of the Odessa region was appointed David Sakvarelidze, who worked in the Saakashvili government; The head of the National Police in the Odessa region was the associate of Governor Giorgi Lorgippanidze.

According to the deputy head of the Odessa website, the election site Evgenia Genova, Saakashvili had a huge credit of confidence from Odessa residents, but from the practical results of his work, only partial repair of the Odessa-Retrini road, and the number of bribes at customs can be distinguished; All other reforms slowed down.

Saakashvili criticized the central government in Ukraine a lot. Especially the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenia Yatsenyuk. In July 2016, the Odessa governor said that Yatsenyuk took part in corruption schemes at the Odessa port plant. Prior to this, Saakashvili had a public conflict with the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov (he represents the Yatsenyuk party “People’s Front”) - at a meeting of the National Council of Reforms, they had a skirmish , the minister splashed with water for the “Ham tone”.

In 2015, Saakashvili traveled around the country with an anti -corruption forum invented by him, which was also performed by other Ukrainian politicians - members of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, Mustafa Nayem, Dmitry Dobrodomov and others. “Odessa will develop only after Kyiv is exempted from corrupt officials who patronize banditry and lawlessness, including in the Odessa region,” said Saakashvili.

The governor was dissatisfied with the administration of the President of Ukraine. “A month ago, Poroshenko came to us, even then everyone was waiting for a new governor,” Yevgeny Genova told Medusa. According to her, the governor had a conflict with the First Deputy Head of AP Vitaly Kovalchuk. Saakashvili even said that Kovalchuk "wanted to hand over Odessa to the separatists." In March 2016, Kyiv fired one of the closest associates of Saakashili-prosecutor David Sakvarelidze. Shortly before this, Sakvarelidze accused the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada Igor Kononenko and Alexander Granovsky (are considered the closest associates of Petro Poroshenko) in interference in the affairs of the prosecutor's office. A few hours before Saakashvili's statement, the chief regional police officer Lorkipanidze announced the resignation. The source of Medusa in Odessa says that he was Saakashvili's right hand, and his resignation meant that the governor was completely losing control of the power block in the region.

Most likely, Saakashvili will be engaged in party work. The former governor can lead the recently created Khville party (Wave). Saakashvili's associates from the anti -corruption forum - for example, deputy Viktor Chumak and former deputy general of the prosecutor of Ukraine Vitaliy Kasko, have already entered there. “Now the party is actively building David Sakvarelidze and, most likely, Saakashvili will completely go into this work,” says Odessa journalist Genova. This was indirectly confirmed by Solomiya Bobrovskaya. “He remains in politics and will build political power in the region. Obviously, not from the “Petro Poroshenko Bloc”. Saakashvili initiated the creation of the party, but it is better to wait for his statement about this, ”she said.

The first deputy Saakashvili Solomiya Bobrovskaya, a 27-year-old activist of Euromaidan, who worked in the team of the now former governor since November 2015, will act as the governor .

Juliana Skibitskaya

Kyiv