Saakashvili calls for early parliamentary election

Mikheil Saakashvili announced the formation of a new political force at a Nov. 11 press conference with the goal of early parliamentary elections as soon as possible. “Our goal is the replacement of the so-called elites, who are truly speculators who control the government and parliament,” Saakashvili said, adding that he won’t be conducting talks with other political players but will be turning to the people. Saakashvili most recently served as the head of the Odesa regional administration for 17 months before resigning on Nov. 7.

Zenon Zawada: Ukraine’s political field is wide open for a figure with moral authority to rally the public in leading a movement of pro-Westerners reformers to parliament. Saakashvili is as good a candidate as any yet this effort raises some question marks. Firstly, he didn’t have any other prominent reformers at his Nov. 11 press conference, which is a big minus. He will not have enough support if he attempts this project on his own.

As equally as important, early parliamentary elections (otherwise scheduled for 2019) have enormous potential to destabilize conditions in Ukraine. Yulia Tymoshenko could perform well and become prime minister, which could create a repeat of 2005 when the Cabinet was in constant conflict with the president. And the Russian-oriented Opposition Bloc would make strong gains.

For a reform-oriented party to make a meaningful change without destabilizing the situation, Saakashvili would have to get most of the prominent reformers to join his effort.