Margvelashvili leaves Saakashvili without Georgian passport

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has signed a decree on deprivation of the ex-president of Georgia, governor of the Odessa Region, Mikheil Saakashvili, of his citizenship, the press service of the President said.

Georgia’s Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani has sent the recommendations to the head of stat. She added that "Saakashvili has a month to express his position on the termination of his nationality, but he did not answer, so the conclusion of the Ministry of Justice was sent to the President Margvelashvili today".

The head of the Institute of Management Strategy, Petre Mamradze, said in an interview with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza that Giorgi Margvelashvili had no choice, because, according to the Georgian Constitution as soon as it is proven that a citizen of the country has acquired the citizenship of another state, he must be deprived of Georgian citizenship. "Margvelashvili either had to violate the Constitution, which would have caused a big controversy, or had to sign a decree on deprivation of citizenship, as the documents proving that Saakashvili has become a citizen of Ukraine had arrived from Kiev," the expert said.

However, he pointed out that the Ukrainian citizenship of the former president of Georgia weakens the possibility that the Georgian law enforcement agencies can try him. "Saakashvili is protected by the fact that he has found a place in Ukraine. So practically nothing will change. It was a necessary step prescribed in the Constitution, and it will have no effect on the extradition of Saakashvili," the analyst noted.

"People have seen that Saakashvili received Ukrainian citizenship, that he no longer wants to return to Georgia and play some political role there. They realized that their leader has left then," Peter Mamradze concluded.

The head of the Center for Global Studies, Nana Devdariani, in her turn, also recalled that Georgian legislation does not allow a person to receive the citizenship of another country while being a citizen of Georgia. "Therefore, Margvelashvili's decision is the only option. But citizenship is a separate issue, because Saakashvili was covered by his Western partners, who kept his Georgian citizenship, therefore he lives in Ukraine," she said.

According to the expert, the fact that Saakashvili is deprived of citizenship would adversely affect support for the UNM. "The president, who accepts the citizenship of another country, is in fact leaving his supporters. Shevardnadze was strongly criticized, but he did not leave Georgia until his death. But Saakashvili gave up his citizenship and left for Ukraine to work as a governor. It is politically inappropriate," Nana Devdariani concluded.