Saakashvili abandons local anti-corruption initiative

Odesa Regional Administration Head Mikheil Saakashvili told a Nov. 2 briefing that he is shutting down the city’s Center for Servicing Citizens owing to corrupt legislative initiatives, among other reasons, reported the dumskaya.net news site. He alleged an anti-raider bill will block the center’s financing. He also accused the central government of not wanting to transfer the authority to issue driver’s license to a local body and accused the local government of monopolizing the registration of citizens and the issuance of passports. The center was a symbol of Saakashvili’s tenure in government.

Zenon Zawada: Saakashvili had rock star status when he first arrived on the Ukrainian political scene in May 2015 and immediately created an image of a passionate anti-corruption fighter. At one point, he was even being discussed as a candidate for prime minister. Saakashvili has lost much of his momentum since then, blaming the failure of his initiatives on the corruption that chokes any attempt at reform. However, no one likes a loser and he needs to pursue some new anti-corruption campaigns in order to stay relevant as a politician.