Poroshenko May Review Petition to Appoint Saakashvili as Ukraine's PM

An online petition to appoint the governor of the Ukrainian region of Odessa, Mikheil Saakashvili, as the country’s prime minister has gained enough support to be reviewed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

KIEV (Sputnik) – Nearly 30,000 people have signed the petition to appoint Saakashvili, former president of Georgia, as of early Wednesday. The figure passes the 25,000 threshold of signatures needed for Poroshenko to review it.

The appeal was first created on the presidential website on September 1. According to the website, the president of Ukraine may submit the petition for consideration to lawmakers he deems it appropriate.

Saakashvili, who is wanted in Georgia on charges of misappropriation of public funds and abuse of power, said earlier that he did not see himself becoming the head of the Ukrainian cabinet.

Local media cited a source in the Poroshenko administration as suggesting that Saakashvili may be appointed deputy prime minister. The source said Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko was the front-runner for the post of prime minister.

The Ukrainian leadership suggested that a cabinet reshuffle would take place this fall.

Saakashvili’s 2004-2013 rule as leader of the former Soviet republic of Georgia was criticized as authoritarian. Saakashvili has lived in Europe and the United States since 2013 and has yet to return to his homeland.

Poroshenko granted Saakashvili Ukrainian citizenship and appointed him the governor of Odessa in May of this year.