Appearance of powerful pro-Russian party in Ukraine is inevitable process

The Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Crimea in 1994 — 1995, the Chairman of the Russian Community of the Crimea, the First Deputy Chairman of the party “Russian Unity” Sergey Pavlovich Tsekov answers the questions of the Internet portal “The world and we”.

- What is the relation of the Ukrainian authorities to the pro-Russian parties and the organizations operating in Ukraine? Is it true that the Party of Regions pursues a consistent policy against these organizations as competitors on an electoral field?

From first years of independence the secret rule was developed according to which the pro-Russian parties are the enemies of independent Ukraine and therefore it is necessary to carry out the system work on their easing, discredit and conflict introduction. This rule worked for many years and certain echoes are today. Concerning the Party of Regions I can't tell that it carries out any system work on weakening of the Russian organizations of Ukraine. If it was so, then the bright representative of the Party of Regions Vadim Vasilyevich Kolesnichenko wouldn't be the chairman of the All-Ukrainian Coordination Council of the Organizations of the Russian Compatriots.

The Party of Regions by and large doesn't see competitors among the Russian organizations of Ukraine. Though, I think, they feel a certain competition from Russian Unity party which was registered before the beginning of last election campaign. And as show the elections in local councils in certain regions of the Crimea, the competition between “Russian Unity” and the Party of Regions was very considerable.

But if to speak about existence of any rigid relations between the Party of Regions and “Russian Unity”, they aren't present at all. Our party is presented in the Verkhovna Rada of the Crimea, unfortunately, by only three deputies. It is, first of all, the result of that we were registered all one week prior to elections. Besides, we are presented by a quantity of deputies in some regional and city councils.

As we really seek to be the real political force, we understand that it is necessary to find allies in an existing situation for realization of our ideological and program installations. It is easier to us to reach these goals thanks to subject and system work with the Party of Regions. Besides, in the Crimea we work with parties which share our ideas - Union party, KPU and others.

- With what, in your opinion, rather low productivity of the pro-Russian political forces on elections in Ukraine is connected in spite of the fact that the considerable part of the population supports ideas which they declare?

There are a lot of reasons. Main of them is that during election campaign very many parties put forward the pro-Russian slogans - about giving of the state status to the Russian language, about comprehensive strengthening of ties with Russia, about preservation of the general history. And, naturally, voters often choose the strongest party which in their opinion has enough opportunities to realize these slogans. It is clear that the strongest party with such slogans is the Party of Regions.

The second reason is that the Russian parties and organizations practically have no resources. To reach a certain result, it is necessary to have not only ideas and team, but also a serious resource. The Russian organizations of Ukraine and the Crimea had never that. We have no opportunity to come to television, to carry out serious PR campaign. Respectively, there is low result.

A certain role in our weak results is played by total absence of support, including information, from Russia. The Russian Federation for all last more than 20 years of independence of Ukraine practically never supported the Russian organizations in their election campaigns. It didn't support neither Russian Bloc party, nor Russian Unity party.

It is indicative that deputies from “United Russia” who came to the Crimea during election campaign agitated the local authorities for the Party of Regions, instead of “Russian Unity”.

In a certain degree these low results are connected with that the Russian organizations in the Ukrainian mass media very skillfully given as small, shattered, marginal organizations, clashing for mythical money from Russia.

It was succeeded to introduce in minds of citizens of Ukraine the myth that all Russian organizations are the conflict, troublemaking and scandalous organizations. Though if to speak about the Russian community of the Crimea, we have a principle, which is observed for 20 years - it is “non-aggression pact”.

We never allowed and we won't allow any public attacks against any Russian organizations and their leaders even in case they allow insults or charges in our address. But, unfortunately, nobody wishes to pay attention to it and practically don't tell about it. It isn't favourable.

- What is the biggest problem for the Russian organizations of Ukraine - internally pressure from the Ukrainian authorities, oppositions or features of policy of Russia concerning compatriots and their organizations?

Both of them. There is one more essential factor - there are no self-sufficient, influential people in the Russian movement for the present. I want to pay attention that, for example, the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress is headed by the billionaire Kolomoysky. It is possible to give here examples on representatives of other ethnic groups. There is a lot of reasons for that. It was initially very dangerous to be engaged in business and to be the representative of the Russian organization. This pressure from the Ukrainian authorities played a certain role.

But now the situation changes. Very many people already taken place in life, business, policy, begin, at least to show the pro-Russian views more and more and don't hesitate of it.

Certainly, in Russia there is no system, subject work with the Russian organizations in Ukraine. By and large, Russia didn't develop the principle of work with the Russian organizations in the world as a whole. I tell it, as the vice-chairman of Presidium of the International Council of the Russian Compatriots. There are objective reasons to it. Russia has no sufficient experience how to unite and support compatriots. Therefore everything becomes “from a blank sheet”. And the absence of sufficient understanding how to do it leads to that this work isn't very effective today.

But certain positive motions occur. In particular, the decision on creation of system of Coordination councils of the organizations of the Russian compatriots is made. Work with diplomatic structures of Russia, Rossotrudnichestvo which actively develops recently work in Ukraine and other countries of the world is conducted. Various funds are created: “Russian World”, Fund of protection of the rights of the Russian compatriots. Such work is conducted, but it is obviously insufficient - in the future it is necessary to work more.

Recently they began to speak about so-called “soft force”. It is enough that “soft force” from the western states in Ukraine. And if to speak about representatives of “soft force” from Russia, unfortunately, such structures aren’t enough for the present.

- Is the creation of powerful pro-Russian party possible in the near future in Ukraine? Can your political force become such party?

I hope that it surely will occur. But for this purpose there are three components of success - idea, people and money. We have a big problem, of course, with a resource. If we resolve resource issues, then it will occur quickly enough. And in general, as for appearance of influential, authoritative, pro-Russian party, it will appear surely.

It we will be whether we or other pro-Russian force in the union with us and we will become the participants of creation of this pro-Russian force. It will occur inevitably in the next 10 years. Unfortunately, the Party of Regions tries to be party for all Ukraine. It is in many respects correct, but often it becomes at the expense of the disrespectful relation to the rights of Russians and Russian cultural citizens of Ukraine. Substantially the rights of this part of Ukraine are ignored.

It is clear that such situation can't proceed long. And on elections it is expressed in nonparticipation of considerable percent of voters of the Southeast of Ukraine who traditionally sympathize with parties of the pro-Russian orientation. Possibly, the period of a certain disappointment came. And these voters can't vote for other parties, especially the nationalist.

Thus, they carry out the choice by “feet” - don't go on elections. It can't long proceed. I am convinced that the serious, influential Russian party will appear in Ukraine - it is an inevitable process.