Georgia's most powerful man suggests an apology for 2008 war with Russia

TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's most powerful man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, suggested that the South Caucasus country could apologise to Ossetians for the 2008 war with Russia that led to Moscow recognising two rebel Georgian regions, Georgian media reported.

Russia recognised South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, as independent states after Russian troops repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a five-day war in 2008. Most of the rest of the world continues to recognise the territories as Georgian.

Ivanishvili, a billionaire ex-prime minister who is the lead candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream party in an Oct. 26 election, said the "criminal regime" of former President Mikheil Saakashvili triggered the war on the orders of foreign powers, according to Georgian public broadcaster 1TV.

"Immediately after the October 26 elections, those who instigated the war will face justice", Ivanishvili said, adding that Georgians would then "apologise" for the war. He was speaking at a campaign event in the town of Gori, which was briefly occupied by Russia during the 2008 war.

Saakashvili is serving a six-year prison sentence for abuse of power and could not be reached for immediate comment.

His United National Movement (UNM) party said that Ivanishvili's remarks were a national shame that served the interests of Russia and said the statement was treacherous, according to Interpress News.

A small and mountainous country that gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia is being courted by the West, Russia and China and many Georgians say the country is at a crossroads as it heads into next month's election.

South Ossetia, about 100 km (60 miles) north of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, broke away from Georgia in a 1991-92 war that killed several thousand people. The area's ethnic Georgian population was mostly expelled from the province.

The majority of those now living in South Ossetia are ethnically distinct from Georgians. They say they were forcibly absorbed into Georgia under Soviet rule.

An EU-commissioned report published in 2009 said that Georgia triggered the war when it attacked South Ossetia's Tskhinvali with heavy artillery on the night of Aug. 7 to Aug. 8, 2008. Russia responded with overwhelming force, which the report said went beyond reasonable limits.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Alex Richardson)