Saakashvili: Ukraine must change quickly

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says that new Ukrainian authorities have to move fast in order to uproot the nation's deeply rooted corruption in order to progress as a society.

In a speech delivered on Feb. 26 at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academу, he called the recent political changes in Ukraine “a remarkable historic event relating to the whole world” and was impressed by how well the EuroMaidan protests were organized.

Referring to the 2004 Orange Revolution, which led to major disappointment with the ineffectual governing tandem of Viktor Yushchenko as president and Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister, Saakashvili said that the country needs large and sustainable democratic, transparency and free-market reforms. And the government must change fast, he said.

The Ukrainian people want to see the concrete results and want competent leaders rather than politicians to lead the country out of its current political and economic crisis.

According to Saakashvili, Ukraine has been run by oligarchs who cared only about their own interests. He believes that a new, uncorrupted political elite must rise up to change the system.  

The acting government has to take away all unjustly acquired wealth, but authorities should avoid jailing all former officials and oligarchs, he said, as it is “better to have free mafia mob with no money rather than have them in prison, but with money.”

Modernizing the educational system and police should also take place, he said. But the most important tasks are fighting corruption and bureaucracy that slow Ukraine’s economic growth, he said.

“We (Georgians) fought corruption mercilessly. In the first year (after I became president) we fired 36 judges on corruption charges,” said Saakashvili, adding that now Georgia’s corruption level is very low.

On the topic of Crimea, where the pro-Russian majority wants the peninsula to become a part of Russia, Saakashvili said that urgent reforms might be a panacea that will prevent Ukraine from splitting.

“When people see they can choose between European society and Putin’s oligarchy, the choice will be obvious, as everyone wants to live like a human,” Saakashvili added.

As for foreign policy, closer ties between Ukraine and the European Union would be very beneficial. Saakashvili is confident that Ukraine will sign a political and trade association agreement with the EU on favorable conditions, because now the country has gained political dividends. Europe and Ukraine need each other as “there will be no true Europe without Ukraine,” he said.

Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Trach can be reached at trach@kyivpost.com.