Reports: Saakashvili Not Likely to Be Appointed Deputy PM of Ukraine

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has withdrawn the issue of appointment of Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili as Deputy Prime Minister from the Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian media reports.

The edition 'Ukrainskaia Pravda' was informed so by a source who attended the meeting between the parliamentary faction 'Voice' and Saakashvili.

"It seems that the faction 'People's Servant' (the ruling party of Ukraine) has deceived him," a source said. 

Earlier, another media outlet reported that instead of the post of Deputy Prime Minister, the ruling party might "nominate Saakashvili as a candidate for the 'People's Servant' in Odessa, with maximum political and financial support from the government."

Today, the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Verkhovna Rada, Dmitry Razumkov said that he was not sure that he would support the appointment of Saakashvili as Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Razumkov told the agency РБК-Україна that there are enough people in the ruling 'People's Servant' party who are useful to the government. 

Ukrainian media quoted parliament sources as saying that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also opposed the appointment of Saakashvili to the post. 

"Saakashvili's appointment has been blocked and it is unclear whether it will take place at all. After lengthy negotiations, the Servant of the People faction could gain the support of only 140-170 MPs out of 248 MPs. There are not enough votes, so President Zelensky decided not to support Mikheil Saakashvili publicly”, Yuri Butusov, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian portal Censor.net, said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered former Georgian leader the seat of Deputy PM in charge of reforms a few days ago. 

By Ana Dumbadze 

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