Irakli Garibashvili, current chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party and former Prime Minister, on Thursday criticized the previous United National Movement government, accusing it of being provoked by Russia and failing to defend the country’s territory in August 2008.
Garibashvili asserted that the former administration, instead of avoiding the war, responded directly to provocations, which led to “devastating consequences” for Georgia. “This terrible tragedy reminds us once again that the previous government could not avoid this war. On the contrary, it directly responded to provocations and did not make any attempt to avoid it,” Garibashvili said.
He highlighted the “severe impact” of the war, noting that 20 percent of Georgia’s territory remained occupied, with over 100 villages lost and more than 400 lives, including soldiers, policemen, and civilians, killed.
Garibashvili particularly criticized the former government for surrendering the Kodori Gorge without resistance and for failing to prevent the return of Russian military forces after their withdrawal in 2007.
Garibashvili also expressed his gratitude to Georgia’s Western allies for their support of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity but pointed out the limitations of this support in preventing Russia from establishing military bases in the occupied territories. He emphasized the importance of the peaceful policies adopted by Georgian Dream since taking power in 2012, which he credited with maintaining peace and stability in the face of ongoing occupation.
Addressing ongoing political debates, Garibashvili dismissed speculations about the exact date of the war’s start as an attempt to shift focus from the real issues.
“Georgia could not have started a war on its own territory. Our responsibility, as a government, was to avoid war and conflict. The previous administration failed in this regard, and the Georgian people have already given their verdict on this matter in the 2012 elections,” Garibashvili concluded.
