Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian politician and oligarch, who held the position of Prime Minister of Georgia from October 2012 to November 2013. Photo
Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s wealthiest individual, proposed that the South Caucasus nation might consider apologizing to the Ossetians for the 2008 war with Russia. This conflict resulted in Moscow recognizing two breakaway regions in Georgia, as reported by Reuters on September 15th.
In his speech, Ivanishvili asserted that Georgian Dream must secure a constitutional majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections for four key reasons. First, to declare the opposition United National Movement (UNM) and its associated parties unconstitutional and to apologize to the Ossetians for the August 2008 War. Second, to pass a constitutional version of the anti-queer bill and establish a law recognizing Orthodoxy as a cornerstone of Georgian state identity, and finally, to work on “restoring” Georgia’s territorial integrity.
Ivanishvili’s pre-election commitment to apologize faced significant backlash from both the opposition and the families of soldiers who lost their lives in the August 2008 War.
A demonstration in Tbilisi opposing Ivanishvili’s promise. Photo
Valeri Elizbarashvili, the son of Colonel Davit Elizbarashvili, who lost his life in the war on Facebook
In a Facebook post, Tea Tabatadze, the wife of Shmagi Sopromadze, who also lost his life in the war, expressed her regrets to her late husband for “today’s Georgia”. “I’m sorry, Shmagi… I’m sorry for today’s Georgia… It probably wasn’t worth it… My heart aches for your unappreciated sacrifice”.
Reuters, OC Media, Theatlantis.org and agencies
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