Saakashvili's party to participate in parliamentary elections

A founder of the party, former Deputy Prosecutor General David Sakvarelidze, said this in an interview the video of which he posted on his Facebook page.

"Especially when the issue concerns early elections, we as a party will participate in these elections and will defend the philosophy and the projects that we want to realize. I think that he [Saakashvili] must come because participation in the elections is not just a desire today. It is our duty before our voters who expect some consistent steps from us," Sakvarelidze said.

He recalled that the Movement of New Forces had not nominated its presidential candidate but party members then were allowed to support a person whom they found it necessary to support.

"We have a legitimate right to freedom of participation in elections. No one can take from a person his or her life, citizenship, the right to free movement, politics, etc.," he added.

On May 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree to return Ukrainian citizenship to Saakashvili by amending a decree of former President Petro Poroshenko.

Saakashvili received a Ukrainian passport in 2015. He was appointed chairman of Odesa Regional State Administration. He resigned from the post in the autumn of 2016, and on July 26, 2017, President Poroshenko stripped Saakashvili of Ukrainian citizenship.

On May 28, the head of the pro-presidential Servant of the People party, Dmytro Razumkov, said that Saakashvili would not be able to be included in the ticket of any party in early elections because, in accordance with the requirements of the current legislation, he should have lived for five years in Ukraine.

Saakashvili said that he would return to Ukraine on May 29.

op