Poroshenko expects Ukrainian govt to support Saakashvili's decision to resign
The Ukrainian government will support Mikheil Saakashvili's decision to step down as head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.
"I hope that tomorrow the government will support his decision to resign from the post of the region administration's head if he has decided to engage in political activity," Poroshenko told reporters after talks with Slovenian President Borut Pahor on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian president said he was unruffled by the prospect of Saakashvili joining the opposition.
"We are a democratic state, and if he made a decision to launch a political campaign in the opposition's field..." Poroshenko said.
Poroshenko said that a number of Georgian representatives had previously been invited to Ukraine to help implement reforms.
"Some of them successfully continue to work in the government, for example National Police head Khatia Dekanoidze, Gizo Uglava in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau [first deputy director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine Gizo Uglava] and many others. Some people decided to change their field of work and engage in political activity in Ukraine after the loss in the Georgian elections," the president said.
It was reported that Saakashvili said on November 7 that he was resigning from his post because he was tired of constant deception and corruption, including on the part of the authorities in Kyiv.
The presidential administration said that Poroshenko would sign a decree accepting Saakashvili's resignation if the Ukrainian government submitted such a request.
The government, for its part, said that the cabinet was ready to approve Saakashvili's letter of resignation from the post of Odesa region administration head, but making a decision on his resignation was the president's prerogative.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko said on November 8 that the cabinet could discuss Saakashvili's letter of resignation at its session on November 9.
