Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili on November 7 resigned from his post as Ukraine's governor of Odesa, claiming that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has been personally providing support to corrupt clans in the strategic Black Sea region.

The rift contrasts sharply with the previous warmth of the pair. Saakashvili was appointed governor by Poroshenko in June 2015 to stamp out corruption in the port region, after he was fast tracked to receive a Ukrainian passport.

"The president really personally supports two clans in the Odesa region: a gangster, criminal clan, [composed of] murderers from the 1990s [led by Odesa mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov] and the 'Ismail' corruption [clan led by Odesa regional council chairman Anatoliy] Urbansky, the entire power in the region is in the hands of these two, and their separatist allies", Saakashvili said in a video statement published on his Facebook page.

"I decided to resign and start a new stage of the struggle. I will not give up, and I will not get tired. They had better not hope and expect to get rid of me," he added.

Known for his firebrand populism, Saakashvili was appointed by Poroshenko to manage the  volatile region amid the escalation of the separatist conflict in the pro-Russian east of the country. Some 20% of the population of Odesa city and region identify themselves as ethnically Russian and up to 18% as non-Ukrainian, with  widespread sentiment against Kyiv's rule.

Despite Saakashvili's posturing and statements that he intended to clean up the highly criminalised port trade in Odesa and outlying ports in the region, he failed to slacken the grip of crime gangs, due also in large part to lack of resources and decisive support from Kyiv.

Hours before Saakashvili's statement, his close associate and head of the Odesa region police Giorgy Lordkipanidze announced his resignation from the post. The Georgia-born law enforcement official said that he intends to participate in the creation of a new political party under Saakashvili in Ukraine. Saakashvili and his team have for months been talking about launching a new party in which the former Georgian president is expected to take a leading role.

His team had earlier negotiated the participation of prominent lawmakers Serhiy Leshchenko and Mustafa Nayyem from the Poroshenko Bloc in the project. However, the MPs decided to create a separate political force which could result in them running against each other during the next parliamentary elections, even though they share much the same political agenda.

According to Saakashvili, the last straw for him was the e-declarations of officials, in which deputies and officials declared their millions and asked for financial assistance.

"I see these brazen faces - I have no other words for it - who declare boldly that they have only billions in cash, and once they obtain social assistance from the state, [taking] from  pensioners who draw their last pennies with shaking hands so as not to die of hunger," Saakashvili said.

Under mounting pressure from its Western backers and sponsors, Ukraine finally introduced a new system of electronic declarations of assets and income in September. Many officials since declared millions in foreign currency in cash, property also worth millions, control over numerous Ukrainian and offshore companies, luxury property and cars, Swiss watches and jewellery. At the same time they claim generous parliamentary allowances for their work as deputies.

Meanwhile, Saakashvili is still subject to demands in his home country to answer corruption charges stemming from his tenure as president from 2004-13, which he rejects as politically motivated.