Well, the decision taken by the chairman of the Odesa Oblast State Administration was a quite predictable and expected one. Mikheil Saakashvili announced his resignation on November 7 (by the way, it was the anniversary of the October Coup in Russia and the birthday of nationalist leader Oleh Tiahnybok). According to him, the last straw came in the shape of the slew of officials’ electronic declarations, where they declared millions in incomes and reported requests for government financial assistance. At the same time, he said he was not going to give up but was rather embarking on “a new stage of this fight.”
The Presidential Administration has made it clear that the president will sign the decree confirming Saakashvili’s resignation. Let us recall that the former president of Georgia was appointed chairman of the Odesa Oblast State Administration on May 30, 2015. Literally on the eve of Saakashvili’s resignation, we learned that the letter of resignation was also submitted by another member of the “Georgian team” Giorgi Lortkipanidze, who said he was leaving the post of the National Police’s Odesa oblast chief.
The idea of appointing foreigners (popularly known as the “Varangians”) to government offices was a doomed one. The Day has been saying it from the very beginning. It is mainly due to the government’s mistaken approach. Foreigners may serve as advisers, not ministers or heads of government bodies, especially when they have Ukrainian citizenship granted in no time.
Photo by Oleksandr INDYCHYI
What is the procedure for the latter under the law? To become a citizen of Ukraine, one must be born as such or prove their origin from this country. Another way is to comply with the specific requirements of the law, which include: acceptance of and compliance with the laws of Ukraine; submission of a declaration stating absence of foreign citizenship or commitment to terminate one; continuous legal residence in the territory of Ukraine for the past five years; obtaining an immigration permit; command of the official language or understanding of the same at the level which is sufficient for communication; access to a legitimate livelihood.
Another way is open to those having performed special services to the nation, and the president may issue appropriate decrees in such cases. President Petro Poroshenko took advantage of this prerogative when granting citizenship to the former president of Georgia, although no one has learned since what services to the Ukrainian state the latter had performed.
COMMENTARY
Andrii NOVAK, head of the Committee of Ukrainian Economists:
“One has to admit that the practice of employing foreigners and assigning them important posts has failed to produce encouraging results. Practically all such foreigners on the upper echelons of power have not produced tangible results. We have to realize that Germany was rebuilt by Germans, Japan – by Japanese, Korea – by Koreans, Poland – by Poles, and so Ukraine should be rebuilt by Ukrainians. There are enough specialists and leaders to be found in this 45-million-strong nation. We have people versed in all spheres, all they need is adequate conditions for self-realization. I think that this practice of hiring foreigners has to be eventually discarded. Besides, what about the moral values of individuals who so easily forfeit their nationality in exchange for an important post in Ukraine? A society that trusts foreigners to carry out the reforms required by that society should have no such illusions. No one will build paradise on earth in Ukraine for us.
“Judging by Saakashvili’s statement, the man wants his resignation to change his status as a government official to that of a politician resolved to win an election campaign. His statement addresses the electorate. The fact remains that the first wave of euphoria, when people expected him to make quality reforms in Ukraine, has long subsided. Proof of this is the difference between his ratings when taking the post of Odesa oblast governor and now. They are down threefold. His electorate is disillusioned, particularly with the absence of tangible results. Of course, some will argue that Saakashvili was denied the opportunity to carry out his plans. There is still the question whether he, being in charge of Odesa oblast, had enough resources and green light from the President. It is also true, however, that with Saakashvili politics have always come first and practical results next. Now, outside the bureaucratic domain, he may collect votes.”
