Saakashvili’s police chief gains citizenship to work in Odesa

The newly appointed police chief of the Odesa region, Georgiy Lortkipanidze, was granted Ukrainian citizenship by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on June 11. The native Georgian was appointed to his post on June 9 by Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. He previously served as deputy interior minister of Georgia under former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was appointed head of the Odesa oblast administration on May 30.

Saakashvili announced on June 9 his three-stage plan for reform in the Odesa region, consisting of a 50-day plan, 100-day plan and six-month plan. The 50-day plan includes an open contest for candidates to head the region’s 26 district administrations. The six-month plan includes reorganizing the state administration, introducing a center of administrative services that will offer about 260 government services, as well as launching the first customs administration center in Ukraine.

Ukraine currently resembles Georgia of the 1990s, he said in a June 10 interview with the tvrain.ru news site. More than USD 1 bln is stolen annually at customs in the Odesa region owing to organized crime, he said. Once local residents see a real battle against corruption has begun, they’ll begin to engage in entrepreneurship and attract investment, he said.

Zenon Zawada: We expressed doubts about Saakashvili’s success without having direct influence on local law enforcement authorities, particularly in hiring and firing its employees. However, now that it’s apparent he will have influence over the region’s police and possibly the prosecutor’s office (in addition to the customs administration center under his influence as well), as reported by local media, his chances for success are greatly enhanced. He doesn’t have to do a lot to become successful, yet even basic moves toward reform are sure to spark conflicts in the coming months.