Saakashvili's promise to return exacerbates risk of political crisis in Georgia

The announcement by Mikheil (Mikhail) Saakashvili, a former Georgian president, to return to the country has sparked controversy among experts over whether or not he should be expected to arrive.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in his Facebook page Saakashvii announced his intention to fly to Tbilisi on October 2.

Valery Chechelashvili, an analyst at the Georgian Fund for Strategic and International Studies, believes that Saakashvili will really come to the country, otherwise, "it will be very strange that the person with such huge political weight won't use this ticket."

Mamuka Zhgenti, an employee of the Institute for Georgia's European Values, has pointed to a negative impact on Saakashvili's image if he refuses to come to Georgia against his earlier repeated statements about his return to the country.

"However, his return may lead to disastrous events – there's a possibility of revolution or civil confrontation. This will have a negative impact on our country," Mr Zhgenti told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Nika Chitadze, the head of the Centre for Security and International Relations Studies, believes that Saakashvili will not come to Georgia, as a criminal case had been instituted against him in his homeland; and his arrival could create unrests. In his page on the social network, Saakashvili showed not a air ticket, but only a reservation therefore, which can be cancelled, Mr Chitadze has stated, adding that the demonstration of the reservation itself is aimed at motivating people to take part in the vote.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 30, 2021 at 02:42 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.