Opposition UNM accuses PM of ‘betraying national interests’ over 2008 war remarks

The United National Movement opposition party, in power between 2004-2012, has accused Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of “betraying the country’s national interests” after he had blamed the 2008 Russia-Georgia war on the UNM.

Irakli Pavlenishvili, Deputy Secretary General of the UNM, on Friday rejected Kobakhidze’s claims, calling them false and politically motivated. He said the Georgian government at the time had been democratically elected and widely supported by the public.

“Of course, this is a lie. Everyone knows that Georgia had a legitimately elected government with unprecedented public support. I don’t know if any government since then has had such backing,” Pavlenishvili told reporters.

In his comments on Thursday and Friday PM Kobakhidze claimed the UNM was not democratically elected and remained in office following “rigged elections.” He also directly blamed the party for provoking the war.

Pavlenishvili dismissed the allegations and drew a historical comparison to the former Yugoslavia.

“We all understand what such accusations mean - we know what kind of price the Serbian people had to pay under the Milošević regime,” he said. “Kobakhidze understands international law very well, and he knows exactly that he is betraying the country and placing national interests in the background.”

The war, which erupted in August 2008 over the breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), lasted five days and resulted in hundreds of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands.