Former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili was appointed head of the Ukrainian Executive Committee of reform, which is part of the National Council of reforms under the President of Ukraine. According to the head of state Vladimir Zelensky, the politician “will be able to give impetus to” reform in the country. However, we are talking about an Advisory body, whose activities besides de facto was frozen in 2018. Where a higher-status position of Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Saakashvili to take and failed.”I sincerely congratulate Mikhail Nikolozovich with a new responsible challenge. Believe that he will be able to give impetus to the National reform Council will assist in the implementation of important changes in the life of the country,” said President Vladimir Zelensky, who on Thursday signed a relevant decree. Deputy Mikhail Saakashvili in the same order were assigned the representatives of business, President of the holding Internet Invest Group, Internet companies Imena.ua Mirohost and Alexander Olshansky. The decree comes into force from the date of its publication.Recall that the return of Mikhail Saakashvili (not only ex-President of Georgia and former Governor of Odessa region, Ukraine) in Ukrainian politics began in late April, when Kiev there were rumors about his possible appointment to the government. Soon he confirmed in Facebook: “Together with the team of the President I am ready to work with all Patriotic forces in Ukraine’s Parliament and with other political forces in society, to Ukraine with minimal losses suffered by the current world economic crisis and coped with all the challenges. I hope to be a reliable member of the team and be useful to the people of Ukraine by making something useful for people.” It turned out that the ex-President and ex-Governor tipped as Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine on reform.However, the appointment procedure was not without problems. MP from the ruling party “servant of the people” Nikita Poturaev told “Kommersant” on April 23, Mr. Saakashvili met with his fellow party members. And even then it was clear that a unified position of the deputies there and the appointment is not guaranteed. In the end, Mr Saakashvili found another post related to the reforms, but much less status.The national Council of reforms is a consultative-Advisory body under the President of Ukraine, which was created in 2014 by the decree of Peter Poroshenko. The stated purpose of strategic planning and coordination of positions on implementation of unified policy reforms. The composition of the national Council comprises the Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers, the speaker of Parliament, the Secretary of national security and defense, the Chairman of the national Bank, chairmen of committees of the Verkhovna Rada, leaders of parliamentary factions. The Council has the right of legislative initiative, that is may make bills for consideration by Parliament. Under Vladimir Zelensky, the Council did not actually work — the last meeting was held in March 2018. Since then, not even the updated page of the national Council in social networks.His appointment Mikhail Saakashvili announced may 4 in the program “Time Golovanov” on TV channel “Ukraine is 24”. He said: “this (appointment.— “B”) the President will announce in the coming days. I consulted with him and with the President’s office as well as other parliamentary leaders. The President considered various options, he will announce”. In this broadcast, the politician made several statements that speak of his vision of modern Ukraine. “Ukraine reminds me of a child playing in the sand, around him, flames raging, and the child thinks mom and dad will come and take him. No moms and dads, we need to grow up,”— said Mikhail Saakashvili. He also warned the media that the country can expect difficult times — and coronavirus, and due to bad harvest, which is expected this year. And on may 6 in a conversation with Deutsche Welle Mr. Saakashvili gave to understand that he’s not upset due to the fact that the original plans never materialized. “I have no ambition to do it all at once. The post of Deputy Prime Minister is limited to certain functions. Really politically is a high position, but at the same time, this is actually Minister without portfolio”,— said the politician.The original plans sparked outrage among the authorities of Georgia, which clearly has a negative attitude to the ex-President. Thus, the speaker of Parliament Archil Talakvadze said: “If this decision (on the appointment of Deputy Prime Minister.— “B”) will be made, I think it would seriously damage the political cooperation between our countries. This decision will be for Georgia is unacceptable”.We will remind, the court of Tbilisi has sentenced in absentia former President to three and six years of imprisonment in two criminal cases. First, it was about the willful abuse of authority, concealment and pardon in exchange for silence high-ranking police officers convicted on charges of kidnapping and death of a young banker Sandro Girgvliani in January 2006. Second, Mikhail Saakashvili was found guilty of organizing the beating in 2005 of his opponent, the Deputy and businessman Valery Gelashvili insulted in one of the interviews a politician’s wife Sandra Roelofs, the. During the year the verdict to the former President will be sentenced in two criminal cases for embezzlement of public funds and in the case of the brutal dispersal of the opposition rally on 7 November 2007.On may 6, Vice-speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Mamuka Mdinaradze thanked the Ukrainian colleagues from the Verkhovna Rada for consideration the candidature of Mikhail Saakashvili to the post of Deputy Prime Minister did not take place: “I want to tell the Parliament and our colleagues (most of them) thank you for the wisdom that they share our position… I’m Sure that one factor was and is our appeals in which we talked about the fact that you cannot assign the offender to any political position in a friendly country”.However, his appointment as head of the Executive Committee of reforms can also be considered a certain signal. “I wonder what Zelensky took the decision to appoint, despite a powerful information attack Pro-Russian media in Ukraine and on the power of Russian propaganda, reported on his page in Facebook chief editor of the Ukrainian edition “Censor.NO” Yury Butusov.— This is an important signal — to appoint, albeit symbolic, a personal enemy of Putin. From the point of view of diplomacy is a momentous move”.Paul Tarasenko
