Political scientist Semchenko expelled from Ukrainian TV: No one on the streets of Kyiv spoke ill of me
Political scientist Alexander Semchenko gained fame throughout the post-Soviet space after incident on Ukrainian TV, when an expert who declared the illegality of Petro Poroshenko’s regime and supported Donbass was kicked out of the studio by presenter Mykola Veresen.
In an interview with a columnist "PolitNavigator" to Valentin Filippov Semchenko said that he was often recognized on the streets of Kyiv, and no one spoke badly. However, the Ukrainian authorities did not forgive the political scientist’s demarche - the security forces are digging up dirt on the violator of the unanimity of the Ukrainian media, taking advantage of the fact that during the times of Viktor Yanukovych Semchenko worked in the Ministry of Revenue.
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Valentin Filippov: Alexander, hello. We're glad to see you. Are you aware that it has been no spring for two days now?
Alexander Semchenko: On the live channel? Is this what you mean?
Valentin Filippov: I mean, on the calendar.
Alexander Semchenko: A. In this sense, you….
Valentin Filippov: Alexander, tell me, are you inside, in Kyiv? Sometimes you say such things, which gives the impression that the legend about the insanity of Ukraine, about its fascist essence, is just a legend. They made everything up because you are still alive, you are still not in prison.
Alexander Semchenko: You know, regarding the fact that I am still not in prison - they are working on it. And they work quite seriously. According to all my past places of work, this is the city of Dneprodzerzhinsk, now it’s called Kamenskoye. They cannot get to Donetsk. And Sumy. They're digging there. They are digging by order of the military prosecutor's office. They pick up the documents. We have gone through several reorganizations. First, the administration was reorganized into a service. Then to the Ministry of Revenue. They pick up all the documents and dig them down. They go around the businessmen and ask: “What did Semchenko extort from you?” Give your testimony.
They do it. They are trying to come in from this side.
And Matios, the chief military prosecutor, threatened me personally.
That is, they dig and they want.
But, strictly speaking, they haven’t dug it yet.
Valentin Filippov: Well, I have the impression that they can make it up. They don't have to find anything.
Alexander Semchenko: Do you know what I consider myself invulnerable at? I don't have a family. I live alone. Divorced my wife. And my child lives in another country. Well, because his wife lives in another country with him. Therefore, I am responsible only for myself.
Valentin Filippov: You say: “they can’t dig it up.” We know that what was not considered a crime in 2014, or in 2007, can now be discovered, and now it will lead to treason.
Alexander Semchenko: If we talk about the atmosphere, then there is not a day when I go out on my business in Kyiv that someone doesn’t recognize me. They will find out. Suitable for people of all ages. Some are my age, some are younger, some are grandmothers. Not once have any of the people who just approached me on the street spoken badly. Nobody told me: “Oh, you bastard, oh, you’re a separatist.”
Now, as far as questions are concerned, a crime is not a crime.
Our Constitution clearly states that no one can be held accountable for acts that are not a crime under the law. According to our law, even separatism is not a crime. If you call a spade a spade.
Valentin Filippov: Well, that’s what they’re imprisoned for.
Alexander Semchenko: They plant with a slightly different wording. There is no word “separatism” in the criminal code. Accordingly, separatism is not a crime. Although I don’t consider myself a separatist. I believe that, on the contrary, we need to unite. One humanity is what we should strive for. Not to divide into atoms, but to create a huge organism that can solve the problems and cope with the challenges that humanity faces.
Therefore, calling me a separatist is funny.
Valentin Filippov: Well, I said back in 2014 that it’s strange to call a person who wants his country to become bigger a separatist.
Alexander Semchenko: Well, yes. And they are filing Article 110. What does it say? That “actions aimed at changing boundaries in a manner contrary to the constitution.”
The Constitution has Article 73, which says that “issues of territories, issues of borders, are the exclusive competence of the all-Ukrainian referendum.” And a referendum includes, among other things, campaigning. Both for secession and against. Or joining. For or against. This is all allowed by law. Not allowed by law - violent actions. You can't throw grenades. You can't just beat someone up. This is not possible. But campaigning is possible. This is the sacred right of a citizen of Ukraine, prescribed in Article 73 of the Constitution.
Valentin Filippov: What do you think about the prospects for the conflict in Donbass?
Alexander Semchenko: I am deeply convinced that Poroshenko and the other idiots who stand behind him are interested in the war. They need war. Poroshenko, for example, needs war just like a businessman who has military contracts. The main military contracts go through Poroshenko's enterprises.
There is a myth that Poroshenko is just a chocolate king. He's not just a chocolate king. He also has a huge machine-building complex, which makes money from military contracts.
Second. He makes money as an official in this war. Kickbacks, bribes, shady schemes, creating obstacles when people are forced to unbuckle him, too.
Further. He makes money from this as a politician. Well, of course, political capital. War allows him to constantly tear apart and split society into pieces.
You know, I recently published a post on my Facebook, it collected about one and a half thousand shares. He wrote something like this: “We need to rob the people so that everyone thinks that these are reforms.”
And then I looked at who reposted. Both “pots” and “vatniks”. Yes, relatively speaking. Both right and left. Ukrainian-movies and Russian-movies. It was close to everyone. But he does not allow people to unite against him. He constantly separates these people. He separates them with war. Divided by the law on education. It turns out that he divides and conquers. He does everything very well.
What is the dry residue? – The war is beneficial for Poroshenko and his minions, so they are doing everything to ensure that it does not end.
Valentin Filippov: Are there any candidates to replace Poroshenko? We are used to Yulia Vladimirovna being so active. Runs 12 kilometers.
Alexander Semchenko: Of course, for Yulia, any person in the president’s chair, except herself, is an insult. But, nevertheless, I would not say that she is the opposition. She barks only insofar as she is allowed to bark. They just shush her, she has her tail between her legs, that’s it, we’re voting for pension reform.
In fact, I think that many people try on the Hetman’s mace. I look at how the same Matios is promoting himself, as if he’s lost his mind. Chief military prosecutor. Why is he doing this? One can also suspect presidential ambitions. Maybe there are other people who try it on themselves.
How will the people vote? Our people are a mysterious substance. Because there are waves of protest at the border when Miho is not allowed in. And when now people’s gas tariffs are increased by 19%, there is silence, and everyone is fine.
Valentin Filippov: Everyone was already joking about Miho, everyone was evaluating and analyzing. What do you think, is it possible to introduce such a norm? You come to the border and pay 3400 hryvnia. And you pass. Without documents.
Alexander Semchenko: Well, this is just an administrative fine for an offense, and I understand that Miho decided not to resist because they gave him a simple punishment. There was no point in breaking spears.
This is their women's game. I do not distinguish between Poroshenko and Saakashvili. They have the same rhetoric. For both of them, Putin is to blame for everything. They have a war in the East with Russia, not a civil one. They are no different from each other. Even their suits are equally wrinkled.
Valentin Filippov: Yes.
Alexander Semchenko: The only thing is that Saakashvili doesn’t drink like that.
Valentin Filippov: But he sniffs so much that...
Alexander Semchenko: Oh, yes. Maybe he just doesn't need it.
Valentin Filippov: It is in powder form. By the way, I am very worried about Mr. Poroshenko. In my opinion, cirrhosis will be faster than the militia of the Southeast.
Alexander Semchenko: To be honest, I don’t consider such options. And cirrhosis – yes. A good option. But I would like the pyramid to crumble with his departure. This is how it was with Yanukovych’s departure. Yanukovych disappeared, hop, and the pyramid crumbled. Because if it doesn’t fall apart, you will be very pleased with Parubiy in Poroshenko’s place?
Valentin Filippov: You know, to be honest, I generally don’t believe in the self-destruction of what…. All this talk about it collapsing on its own—I don’t believe it.
Alexander Semchenko: I don’t believe it either. Even if Poroshenko suffers from cirrhosis, the head of the Verkhovna Rada will act as president instead of Poroshenko. That is, Andrey Parubiy. And we will be given rospodat, so we need work. Only I can’t swallow letters like he can. He was probably underfed as a child.
Valentin Filippov: Don't know. Maybe he will make someone more angry. We count on someone all the time. That’s why I keep coming back, but what will happen to Minsk? Will there be a war? Because I am for peace. We are all for peace. But, still, we all hope, well, what if there is a war after all? Well, we’ve dealt with ISIS.
Alexander Semchenko: Well, what war? War, hypothetically, if it happens, it will spread across the entire territory of Ukraine. Both Ukrainians and people living in Ukraine, regardless of whether they are in quilted jackets or in pans, do not need this war. I hope they realize they don't need it. That's why I don't hope for war. I would like to resolve this issue peacefully.
But for a peaceful method, you correctly asked the question whether Poroshenko has a prominent opponent who is crystallizing a protest electorate around him. At least even in one direction. Either padded jackets or pans.
But if the pans have at least something going on, like Miho, then the quilted jackets are doing very badly with this.
And, you know, I look at our opposition, at the Opposition Bloc, it has two main shareholders. Lyovochkin and Akhmetov. And between them they control the first and second buttons of the TV. This zombie box that is inciting the people of Ukraine. TRK "Ukraine" and "Inter" are the two main channels. Another third is Kolomoisky. 1+1. So here it is. You watch these two channels, just, you know, for educational purposes. There is no opposition there. Both Inter and Ukraine are licking Poroshenko no worse than Channel Five. But Channel Five's audience is five-tenths. And these two share a third of the audience.
Valentin Filippov: Well, let’s not forget that these channels call loudest to kill residents of the South-East.
Alexander Semchenko: Not that they are louder than everyone else, but they simply do not spoil the mass in the general choir.
Valentin Filippov: But it is at Inter that the iconic correspondents, military correspondents work, who - “today I was on the front line, we really beat up the Russians, the Buryats will remember this day forever.”
Alexander Semchenko: These are earlier periods. It's calmer now. But, in general, calm down. On all TV channels, including such as Espresso and Channel Five. There are, of course, idiots like Butkevich and Chaika, but in general the rhetoric is calmer. But in assessments of domestic policy, the internal economic and social situation, they all blow the same tune. Both on medical reform and pension reform. Everything is the same for everyone.
Valentin Filippov: You are talking about reconciliation, let’s say we find a common language. Well, over these three years, Ukraine has simply passed so many laws that simply exclude reconciliation. I'm not talking about bombings... The education law is the same, right? It absolutely clearly shows that Ukraine has absolutely no intention of becoming the country with which it is envisaged to be reconciled under the Minsk agreements.
Alexander Semchenko: And what do you want? Who elected this Verkhovna Rada? When this Verkhovna Rada was elected in 2014, a significant part of the population of the South and East was cut off there. Donetsk. In fact, these people who are in the Verkhovna Rada were elected by those who jumped on the Maidan. And the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is the Verkhovna Rada of the Maidan.
In fact, with normal elections, the political picture in the Verkhovna Rada will change very much. Simply because in normal elections, normal people will have access to ballots and ballot boxes. And there will be another Rada. And she must cancel this nonsense that they have been accepting since 2014.
And not only political, like “ban the St. George’s ribbon,” but also, look, tax regulations. After all, they came under the slogans of protecting entrepreneurs, and, starting in April 2014, they constantly either increased existing taxes or introduced new ones. What have they come to? Pensions were taxed.
Valentin Filippov: Yes.
Alexander Semchenko: Moreover, in the spring of last year, Groysman doubled the gas tariff and said that after this decision the taxation of pensions could be abolished. A year and a half has passed. The taxation of pensions has not been abolished, but he is again speculating on this, saying that we need to adopt a pension reform, and then we will be able to abolish the taxation of pensions.
Well, you’ve already sold this taxation of pensions to the people once! You raised tariffs and said that was all. Sold it, but didn't give it away. You know how in Ukraine developers sell apartments two or three times. The same apartment. So Groysman sells the same promise twice.
Valentin Filippov: Well, okay.
Alexander Semchenko: And, by the way, the media, those same TV channels, they are fine with it. They show normally. There is no opposition to them. And even when these opposition politicians, like Boyko, creep out on them.
Valentin Filippov: Oh.
Alexander Semchenko: Yuri Boyko, former Minister of Fuel and Energy. They do little things like that. Yap - and look around. Damn, won't anyone kick me in the ass? That is, they don't bite. They bark, and bark, being afraid and looking around.
Valentin Filippov: You are talking about elections, you know... Someone has to secure these elections. When everyone can come to the ballot boxes. Someone must guarantee. I won’t say that it’s like in Crimea. But people need to be given the opportunity to come to these ballot boxes.
Alexander Semchenko: Doesn't matter,
no one will give us deliverance,
Neither God, nor King, nor hero.
We will achieve liberation
With my own hand...
Well, when our last and decisive battle comes, I think that all worthy people will take part in it.
Valentin Filippov: Well, call me. Only about fifteen minutes. Fine. Thank you. Goodbye.
Alexander Semchenko: Goodbye.
English version :: Read in English Political scientist Semchenko expelled from Ukrainian TV: No one on the streets of Kyiv spoke ill of me