Founder and Honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, accused now opposition party United National Movement (UNM) of igniting the 2008 Russian-Georgian war, stating that the conflict was not the will of the Georgian or Ossetian people but rather the result of reckless decisions by then UNM-led government.
At the GD regional campaign rally held on Saturday in Gori, Shida Kartli region, Ivanishvili held the party, led at the time by former President Mikheil Saakashvili, responsible for dragging the country into a devastating conflict. “In 2008, under orders from the treacherous United National Movement, our Ossetian brothers and sisters were engulfed in flames,” he declared, adding that once the October 26 elections are over, legal proceedings will begin to hold those responsible for the war accountable.
He promised that a “Georgian Nuremberg” trial would soon take place, where all individuals responsible for the destruction of Georgian-Ossetian relations and the bloodshed would face justice.
“When every perpetrator is punished for the collapse of our historic brotherhood, we will have the strength to apologize to the Ossetian people,” Ivanishvili stated, insisting that this justice is essential for national reconciliation.
He reiterated his belief that the Georgian people must confront the painful truth of the UNM’s role in the conflict, stressing that accountability is the first step toward rebuilding trust between Georgians and Ossetians. He expressed confidence that the shared Christian values of forgiveness and reconciliation could heal the wounds inflicted by the war.
Calling on citizens to participate in the elections, Ivanishvili urged voters to reject the UNM’s legacy of division and war.
“Our goal is not to return to the past, but to build a peaceful and prosperous future,” he emphasized, underscoring that true reconciliation with the Ossetian people is the path to securing Georgia’s place within the European family.
In his closing remarks, Ivanishvili sent a strong message of unity and hope, proclaiming, “long live our Kartli people! Long live our Ossetian brothers and sisters! Long live a united Georgia!”
