What Is An Ex
Mikhail Saakashvili
Georgian President Doing Camping Outside Ukraine ' s Parliament ? Enlarge this image toggle caption Sergei Chuzavkov / AFP / Getty Images Sergei Chuzavkov / AFP / Getty Images Just what is  Mikhail Saakashvili  doing ? Georgian president   Ukrainian governor   stateless fugitive — in the past decade    he  ' s played all these roles   among others . But now that  he  ' s perched in a tent community near the parliament building in Kiev   an opposition leader surrounded by a huge group of restive followers   the question of who this bombastic politician is and what his aims are has become more pressing than ever . Trouble is   the answer to the question will vary wildly depending on whom you ask . Pose it to Ukrainian authorities and they ' ll tell you he ' s a rabble - rousing criminal . The Security Service of Ukraine has tried twice this week to arrest him on the suspicion he ' s conspiring with pro - Russian figures to undermine President Petro Poroshenko ' s government . The first time   on Tuesday   they had to haul him down from his apartment building ' s roof — only to see him pulled from their police van by his angry supporters . On Wednesday they tried again   and again they failed to bring him in   this time because they were repulsed by tire - tossing members of the protest encampment set up in Mariyinsky Park .  Saakashvili  ' s supporters   for their part   dismiss the authorities ' allegations as trumped - up charges designed to eliminate a significant rival to Poroshenko .  Saakashvili  has cast  himself  as a crusader against government graft   and  he  has accrued a significant following in the process . Neither version of  Saakashvili  — the opportunistic demagogue and the steely political activist — tells the whole story . But dig a little deeper into  his  long   labyrinthine past   and one might find a fair amount of fodder to support both conclusions . A rise and fall in Georgia Swept into power at the head of a peaceful uprising known as the Rose Revolution   the brash young Saakashvili represented an optimistic vision of democratic reform and independence from neighboring Russia ' s influence . A former justice minister   he won the presidency in 2004 — and won plaudits from the West while he was at it . " Your courage is inspiring democratic reformers and sending a message that echoes across the world  " President George W . Bush told him on a state visit there in 2005 . " Freedom will be the future of every nation and every people on Earth ." Enlarge this image toggle caption Tim Sloan / AFP / Getty Images Tim Sloan / AFP / Getty Images During his time in power   Saakashvili sought to refashion Georgia in the Western capitalist image   opening markets and striving to wean the country off its economic dependence on Russia . " We ' ve been thrown into the open sea  " he told Newsweek in 2006 . " The time has come for us to learn to swim ." Yet his grand Western dream eroded as his tenure stretched on . A dayslong war with Russia ended disastrously for Georgia in 2008   and by Election Day in 2012 his reputation as a reformer had withered under criticism that he ' d become increasingly authoritarian . He ended up soundly losing that election . Within two years of his electoral loss   the prosecutor ' s office in Georgia had filed charges on Saakashvili and dozens of other former officials   saying he had exceeded his authority as president and engaged in corruption . He called the charges a " farce  " according to Reuters   adding that the allegations lodged against him by the new government were simply aimed at " pleasing Russia ." He was out of country at the time the charges were filed . He has not been back since to Georgia   which continues to angle for his extradition . About - faces in Ukraine When  Saakashvili  came to Ukraine in 2014   Kiev welcomed  him  warmly as an ally . Massive demonstrations had only recently forced out the country ' s pro - Russian president   Viktor Yanukovych . Newly installed in office   Poroshenko saw in  Saakashvili  a fellow antagonist of the Kremlin   and  he  wasted little time in finding an official function for the Georgian . The president summarily granted  Saakashvili  Ukrainian citizenship in 2015 — a move that meant  he  would have to give up  his  Georgian citizenship   which   given  his  legal woes there   couldn ' t have been a difficult choice . Poroshenko also went one step further   appointing the new citizen to the governorship of the Odessa region . But as Radio Free Europe notes   the job didn ' t exactly go smoothly . Or last long : " After a stint that included occasionally dramatic acts of political theater   the Ukrainian plan went awry and  Saakashvili  quit in November 2016   publicly accusing Poroshenko of blocking  his  reform efforts .  He  announced the launch of  his  own opposition party   called Movement of New Forces   and began campaigning against  his  former ally ." Indeed   the disputes grew so acrimonious   a notorious fight even broke out between  Saakashvili  and the country ' s interior minister at a council meeting . Arsen Avakov said that   faced with  Saakashvili  ' s " hysterical " behavior   " I refrained from hitting him   and just threw water in his face ." It ' s a long time since I ' ve seen such a bonkers populist . " It ' s a long time since I ' ve seen such a bonkers populist  " he wrote after the meeting in late 2015   according to The Guardian . " Nobody could get a word in edgeways   he was interrupting everyone including the president ." Earlier this year   roughly nine months after his resignation   Poroshenko stripped  Saakashvili  of his citizenship while the latter was on a visit to the U . S .  Saakashvili  had been a Ukrainian for a mere two years . Now   unwelcome by authorities in both the countries  he  has called home   the promising politician who was once the great Western hope for the former Soviet territories is a man without a state . That didn ' t stop  him  from returning to Ukraine   however . In a move reminiscent of the mob action that freed  him  Tuesday   Saakashvili pushed  his  way into Ukraine in September in dramatic fashion . The German newspaper Deutsche Welle described the scene : " The circumstances were astonishing   even for a country like Ukraine   whose recent history is rich in scurrilous political incidents . Initially   the 49 - year - old former governor of Odessa oblast attempted to enter the country by train   accompanied by a crowd of journalists . The Ukrainian train was stopped in Poland and the politician was requested to disembark .  Saakashvili  then traveled by bus to another border crossing   where  his  well - muscled supporters literally carried  him  over the border . The Ukrainian border guards appeared to be helpless ." Since then    Saakashvili  has railed tirelessly against  his  old friend in Kiev . Enlarge this image toggle caption Evgeniy Maloletka / AP Evgeniy Maloletka / AP Populist or provocateur ? It ' s unclear where this skein unspools from here . Saakashvili ' s status remains entirely up in the air . Though stateless   he can ' t claim the status of a refugee since Ukraine rejected his petition for political asylum last month — and though he ' s free for now   he ' s a wanted man in both countries where he once held leadership positions . Long known for his opposition to Russia    Saakashvili  nevertheless now stands accused of what Ukraine ' s top prosecutor calls " the revenge plan of the pro - Kremlin forces in Ukraine ." " This part of the ' Russian Spring ' operation in Kiev is related to the cooperation of a series of politicians — first of all    Mikhail Saakashvili  with the members of Yanukovych ' s organized criminal group  " Yuriy Lutsenko told reporters on Tuesday   playing audio and video footage purporting to show  Saakashvili  arranging payments from a wealthy pro - Russian businessman . These payments   according to Lutsenko   funded " protest rallies aimed at seizing power in Ukraine and facilitating the members of the organized criminal group ." But in a Ukraine just years removed from political revolution   law enforcement officers appear reluctant to press the matter   painfully aware of the dangers of making martyrs out of him and his supporters . So   even after multiple attempts at arrests    Saakashvili  remains at large — and remains vocal in denying the charges . " I appeal to Poroshenko : Why do you need these provocations ?" he wrote of his erstwhile ally on Facebook   according to a translation by the Ukrainian news service UNIAN . " Do not attack or force people into fighting back ! This is a peaceful rally ! Has the experience taught you nothing ?"
Georgian President Doing Camping Outside Ukraine ' s Parliament ? Enlarge this image toggle caption Sergei Chuzavkov / AFP / Getty Images Sergei Chuzavkov / AFP / Getty Images Just what is  Mikhail Saakashvili  doing ? Georgian president   Ukrainian governor   stateless fugitive — in the past decade    he  ' s played all these roles   among others . But now that  he  ' s perched in a tent community near the parliament building in Kiev   an opposition leader surrounded by a huge group of restive followers   the question of who this bombastic politician is and what his aims are has become more pressing than ever . Trouble is   the answer to the question will vary wildly depending on whom you ask . Pose it to Ukrainian authorities and they ' ll tell you he ' s a rabble - rousing criminal . The Security Service of Ukraine has tried twice this week to arrest him on the suspicion he ' s conspiring with pro - Russian figures to undermine President Petro Poroshenko ' s government . The first time   on Tuesday   they had to haul him down from his apartment building ' s roof — only to see him pulled from their police van by his angry supporters . On Wednesday they tried again   and again they failed to bring him in   this time because they were repulsed by tire - tossing members of the protest encampment set up in Mariyinsky Park .  Saakashvili  ' s supporters   for their part   dismiss the authorities ' allegations as trumped - up charges designed to eliminate a significant rival to Poroshenko .  Saakashvili  has cast  himself  as a crusader against government graft   and  he  has accrued a significant following in the process . Neither version of  Saakashvili  — the opportunistic demagogue and the steely political activist — tells the whole story . But dig a little deeper into [TGT][TGT]  long   labyrinthine past   and one might find a fair amount of fodder to support both conclusions . A rise and fall in Georgia Swept into power at the head of a peaceful uprising known as the Rose Revolution   the brash young Saakashvili represented an optimistic vision of democratic reform and independence from neighboring Russia ' s influence . A former justice minister   he won the presidency in 2004 — and won plaudits from the West while he was at it . " Your courage is inspiring democratic reformers and sending a message that echoes across the world  " President George W . Bush told him on a state visit there in 2005 . " Freedom will be the future of every nation and every people on Earth ." Enlarge this image toggle caption Tim Sloan / AFP / Getty Images Tim Sloan / AFP / Getty Images During his time in power   [TGT] sought to refashion Georgia in the Western capitalist image   opening markets and striving to wean the country off its economic dependence on Russia . " We ' ve been thrown into the open sea  " he told Newsweek in 2006 . " The time has come for us to learn to swim ." Yet his grand Western dream eroded as his tenure stretched on . A dayslong war with Russia ended disastrously for Georgia in 2008   and by Election Day in 2012 his reputation as a reformer had withered under criticism that he ' d become increasingly authoritarian . He ended up soundly losing that election . Within two years of his electoral loss   the prosecutor ' s office in Georgia had filed charges on [TGT] and dozens of other former officials   saying he had exceeded his authority as president and engaged in corruption . He called the charges a " farce  " according to Reuters   adding that the allegations lodged against him by the new government were simply aimed at " pleasing Russia ." He was out of country at the time the charges were filed . He has not been back since to Georgia   which continues to angle for his extradition . About - faces in Ukraine When  Saakashvili  came to Ukraine in 2014   Kiev welcomed  him  warmly as an ally . Massive demonstrations had only recently forced out the country ' s pro - Russian president   Viktor Yanukovych . Newly installed in office   Poroshenko saw in  Saakashvili  a fellow antagonist of the Kremlin   and  he  wasted little time in finding an official function for the Georgian . The president summarily granted  Saakashvili  Ukrainian citizenship in 2015 — a move that meant  he  would have to give up  his  Georgian citizenship   which   given  his  legal woes there   couldn ' t have been a difficult choice . Poroshenko also went one step further   appointing the new citizen to the governorship of the Odessa region . But as Radio Free Europe notes   the job didn ' t exactly go smoothly . Or last long : " After a stint that included occasionally dramatic acts of political theater   the Ukrainian plan went awry and  Saakashvili  quit in November 2016   publicly accusing Poroshenko of blocking  his  reform efforts .  He  announced the launch of  his  own opposition party   called Movement of New Forces   and began campaigning against  his  former ally ." Indeed   the disputes grew so acrimonious   a notorious fight even broke out between  Saakashvili  and the country ' s interior minister at a council meeting . Arsen Avakov said that   faced with  Saakashvili  ' s " hysterical " behavior   " I refrained from hitting him   and just threw water in his face ." It ' s a long time since I ' ve seen such a bonkers populist . " It ' s a long time since I ' ve seen such a bonkers populist  " he wrote after the meeting in late 2015   according to The Guardian . " Nobody could get a word in edgeways   he was interrupting everyone including the president ." Earlier this year   roughly nine months after his resignation   Poroshenko stripped  Saakashvili  of his citizenship while the latter was on a visit to the U . S .  Saakashvili  had been a Ukrainian for a mere two years . Now   unwelcome by authorities in both the countries  he  has called home   the promising politician who was once the great Western hope for the former Soviet territories is a man without a state . That didn ' t stop  him  from returning to Ukraine   however . In a move reminiscent of the mob action that freed  him  Tuesday   Saakashvili pushed  his  way into Ukraine in September in dramatic fashion . The German newspaper Deutsche Welle described the scene : " The circumstances were astonishing   even for a country like Ukraine   whose recent history is rich in scurrilous political incidents . Initially   the 49 - year - old former governor of Odessa oblast attempted to enter the country by train   accompanied by a crowd of journalists . The Ukrainian train was stopped in Poland and the politician was requested to disembark .  Saakashvili  then traveled by bus to another border crossing   where  his  well - muscled supporters literally carried  him  over the border . The Ukrainian border guards appeared to be helpless ." Since then    Saakashvili  has railed tirelessly against  his  old friend in Kiev . Enlarge this image toggle caption Evgeniy Maloletka / AP Evgeniy Maloletka / AP Populist or provocateur ? It ' s unclear where this skein unspools from here . Saakashvili ' s status remains entirely up in the air . Though stateless   he can ' t claim the status of a refugee since Ukraine rejected his petition for political asylum last month — and though he ' s free for now   he ' s a wanted man in both countries where he once held leadership positions . Long known for his opposition to Russia    Saakashvili  nevertheless now stands accused of what Ukraine ' s top prosecutor calls " the revenge plan of the pro - Kremlin forces in Ukraine ." " This part of the ' Russian Spring ' operation in Kiev is related to the cooperation of a series of politicians — first of all    Mikhail Saakashvili  with the members of Yanukovych ' s organized criminal group  " Yuriy Lutsenko told reporters on Tuesday   playing audio and video footage purporting to show  Saakashvili  arranging payments from a wealthy pro - Russian businessman . These payments   according to Lutsenko   funded " protest rallies aimed at seizing power in Ukraine and facilitating the members of the organized criminal group ." But in a Ukraine just years removed from political revolution   law enforcement officers appear reluctant to press the matter   painfully aware of the dangers of making martyrs out of him and his supporters . So   even after multiple attempts at arrests    Saakashvili  remains at large — and remains vocal in denying the charges . " I appeal to Poroshenko : Why do you need these provocations ?" he wrote of his erstwhile ally on Facebook   according to a translation by the Ukrainian news service UNIAN . " Do not attack or force people into fighting back ! This is a peaceful rally ! Has the experience taught you nothing ?"