Georgian PM slams “hysteria" over ruling party Honorary Chair's "reconciliation" remarks on occupied Tskhinvali

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday condemned what he called the opposition’s “hysteria” targeting Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Honorary Chair and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, for his comments on the 2008 Russia-Georgia war and potential “reconciliation” with residents of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region in central Georgia.

Speaking at an election campaign event in the central Georgian city of Gori last week, Ivanishvili accused the previous United National Movement Government of instigating the 2008 war. 

He told the event that “when the instigators of the war are brought to justice and those responsible for the destruction of Georgian-Ossetian unity face the harshest legal consequences, we will find the strength to apologise for the tragedy inflicted by UNM, which engulfed our Ossetian brothers and sisters in flames”.

In his press briefing, Kobakhidze argued that Ivanishvili’s statements were “nothing new but a reaffirmation of the ruling party's stance” in comments on the conflict over the past month. 

He explained that "restoration of Georgia's territorial integrity can only be achieved through either war or reconciliation”, and stressed “after a fratricidal war, reconciliation is impossible without mutual repentance. If one contrasts the concepts of repentance and reconciliation with the hysteria prevailing under current conditions, it becomes apparent that some view war as the only solution. Hence, it is not surprising if they [the UNM and affiliated parties] are labelled as a war party”. 

The official further noted that current opposition leaders and President Salome Zourabichvili had previously accused UNM of “unleashing the war”, implying that “radical opposition figures” were “unable to address the issue” of the conflict’s origins. 

The PM claimed the opposition’s dissatisfaction was “not with the issue of unleashing the war but with the idea of mutual forgiveness and reconciliation”, which he said “contradicted the objectives of the UNM regime in 2008”.

This reaction can be explained simply - mutual forgiveness and reconciliation contradict the very objectives that the UNM regime pursued in 2008 when it carried out an external mandate to initiate the war. For the radical opposition, it is the issue of reconciliation, not the outbreak of war, that is truly tragic”, the PM stressed. 

The official also alleged UNM “bears as much responsibility for the deaths of our heroes as their direct killers”, in reference to the invading Russian troops, and accused the party of “exploiting the names of fallen heroes for political gain” in reaction to Ivanishvili’s comments, describing the action as “extreme indolence”.

Murderers and torturers have no nationality and that no apologies will be extended to them”, the PM said and claimed the opposition was “well-aware” Ivanishvili’s reconciliation remarks were about the peaceful population of Tskhinvali. 

The PM reaffirmed the UNM Government under then President Mikheil Saakashvili had “initiated the war, which was later confirmed by the leaders of that administration”. 

The Council of Europe’s resolution clearly states that the Saakashvili regime began large-scale hostilities on August 7. It also notes that this was followed by a retaliatory attack by Russia. Additionally, the then-head of the General Staff, who is now a representative of UNM, admitted that their actions were prompted by fears that Russia would advance into the Tskhinvali region, necessitating their response to prevent further occupation of the settlements”, Kobakhidze stressed. 

He added “several confessions” and the report of Heidi Tagliavini, the Head of the European Union fact-finding commission on Georgia-Russian war, that also “confirmed” the launching of the conflict by the UNM authorities. 

The individuals [from UNM] themselves acknowledged their role in starting the war [through signing the report]. They began with the bombing of Tskhinvali and, as the conflict progressed, it is well-remembered that despite the heroic efforts of our servicemembers, they lost the war in just two days. During those critical days, the Georgian army and our servicemembers were the only ones who upheld the dignity of our state”, the PM said.

He also stressed that restoring territorial integrity peacefully was “impossible without reconciliation, which in turn requires mutual repentance”.