MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. A senior Russian legislator believes Mikheil Saakashvili’s decision to quit the post of governor of Ukraine’s Odessa Region stems from the poor performance of his party (United National Movement) in the elections in his home country, Georgia.

Earlier on Monday Saakashvili said that he had made up his mind to resign, hinting at the same time he was determined to stay in politics.

"Saakashvili’s strategic aim is to regain power in Georgia," said Leonid Kalashnikov, the chairman of the State Duma’s CIS Affairs Committee.

"He has always been regarded as an outsider in Ukraine and he was perfectly aware of that. His real aim was to stay as close as possible to his home country he had to leave, and to run the political process in Georgia from Ukraine," Kalashnikov told TASS about Saakashvili’s resignation.

Saakashvili, he explained, had had the sincere intention to rise to power with his party’s support.

"He failed, though, and now he wants to put on a bold face. He has never been welcome in Ukraine. He has now suffered a defeat in his home country Georgia and is desperately trying to find a job for himself," Kalashnikov said, adding that Saakashvili’s position of the Odessa governor was a cover-up.

He did not rule out that if she emerged the winner in the US presidential election race, Hillary Clinton might invite Saakashvili in the capacity of some kind of East European aide or adviser.