TBILISI: Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s most influential political figure, has proposed that Georgia might need to issue an apology to South Ossetians for its role in the 2008 war with Russia, a suggestion that has sparked widespread debate within the country, Georgian media reported.
Ivanishvili, a billionaire and former prime minister who currently leads the ruling Georgian Dream party, made the comments during a campaign event in Gori. Gori was one of the areas briefly occupied by Russian forces during the five-day conflict.
The 2008 war began when Georgian troops launched an offensive to regain control of South Ossetia, a separatist region. Russia responded by intervening militarily, eventually repelling Georgian forces and recognizing South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, as independent states.
The international community, however, continues to recognize these regions as part of Georgia.
In his remarks, Ivanishvili criticized the “criminal regime” of then-President Mikheil Saakashvili, accusing him of instigating the war under foreign influence. He asserted that following the October 26 elections, those responsible for the conflict would face justice, and suggested that Georgians would then issue an apology to the Ossetians.
“Immediately after the October 26 elections, those who instigated the war will face justice,” Ivanishvili said. “Georgians would then apologize for the war.”
Saakashvili, who is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for abuse of power, has not responded to the comments. His United National Movement (UNM) party condemned Ivanishvili’s statements, calling them a national disgrace that serves Russian interests. The party described Ivanishvili’s remarks as treacherous and harmful to Georgia’s national pride.
A small, mountainous country that gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia finds itself at a geopolitical crossroads, courted by the West, Russia, and China. The upcoming elections are expected to be a significant moment for the country, as many Georgians believe their future is being shaped by the choices made now.
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South Ossetia, located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Tbilisi, broke away from Georgia during a conflict in the early 1990s. The area’s ethnic Georgian population was largely expelled, and the current residents, who are mostly of Ossetian ethnicity, claim they were forcibly absorbed into Georgia during the Soviet era.
An EU-commissioned report published in 2009 concluded that the conflict was triggered by Georgia’s military action against South Ossetia’s Tskhinvali, followed by an excessive response from Russia.
