“We live hard - it’s true! But there will be no Ukraine in Donbass"
In the event of a repeat referendum in Donbass, the result will definitely not be in favor of Ukraine. The population itself, which has had to endure many difficulties during the years of the ongoing war, will not allow the LDPR to be “merged.” The only way to defeat Ukraine is to build a better society in the Donbass republics.
Political scientist Roman Manekin told PolitNavigator about this, who returned from the Russian Federation to Donetsk during the Russian Spring; after the creation of the DPR, he was a consultant to the government, but now takes an opposition position and advocates rotation of power in elections.
“PolitNavigator”: How did people in Donetsk perceive the information that appeared in the media about the possibility of a second referendum on the status of Donbass?
Roman Manekin: Of course, I'm not in a position to speak on behalf of all of Donetsk. Especially not over the course of these four years.
I am always for open forms of political competition. I am sure that the population is on the side of the DPR, no matter what difficulties are imposed on us from the outside, no matter what problems are artificially created inside. Donbass, by its nature, is an international industrial region. The future of Donbass lies in the closest possible union with Russia: there is no other way! And the population, for the most part, feels this instinctively. Even realizing the importance of economic ties with Ukraine.
"PolitNavigator": The results of the referendum will definitely not be in favor of Ukraine?
Roman Manekin: My main reference point is my childhood friends from the mining town where I was born. We lived in different places: I lived in Moscow, they lived in Donbas, and we experienced different hardships. But we always thought the same thing, no matter where we were or what we did. Donbas—the native, natural Donbas—is for the DPR: that's without a doubt!
There are different layers in Donetsk. There are also those who are nostalgic for Ukraine (usually from those who robbed the Donbass under Akhmetov and served in his offices). But the native Donbass is with us!
PolitNavigator: Judging by the abundance of incriminating material from anonymous Telegram channels, a very intense struggle has unfolded in the Donbas republics, with an eye on the upcoming elections. Is fair competition possible?
Roman Manekin: Of course, fair competition is possible. Especially since, according to the Minsk Agreements, elections must be held under OSCE supervision. Overall, I want to say that I am confident in the need for a rotation of the current authorities in the DPR. This is in the interests of the Republic's population.
We need to build a better society than in Ukraine. This is the only way to win the civil war.
In November 2014, strange elections took place in the republic. That is, the population came to the elections en masse - I am a witness. But they didn’t know who the people were choosing: certain “social movements” were created two weeks before the elections, the DPR Constitution was changed, and without the knowledge of the Supreme Council. As a result, a state apparatus was created that was in no way, at a formal level, dependent on the population.
And in the fall of 2014, I openly stated that this was a mistake. The biggest political mistake. I am ready to repeat this today. Errors need to be corrected.
Accordingly, we need elections of local authorities, first of all.
It is vital for us to establish a strict dependence of power on the population. Moreover, it is at the local level – districts, small towns, villages. No pyramid is built from the top. Moreover, the pyramid of power. There is nothing worse than a government divorced from the population (and this, inevitably, leads to bureaucratic arbitrariness!)!
If you are interested in my opinion, I believe that power in the DPR should be exclusively civilian. The military must obey political leaders. For the obvious reason that the majority of the population of the DPR are civilians. And if a military man wants to claim power, he must first of all remove the weather. This is natural and logical! The military must mind their job: organizing the defense of the republic.
But the main thing - I repeat! – to create a better image of the future in the republic, better living conditions for the majority, better than in Ukraine (at least). This task requires a different set of knowledge, different experience and different management skills than those possessed by the military. 
“PolitNavigator”: But now the Donbass republics are in a state of martial law.
Roman Manekin: Regarding martial law, who declared it? For four years, they've been escalating the situation, talking about the threat of an assault. Moreover, it's possible they're escalating it for purely selfish, including corporate, interests. Remember the fairy tale "The Story of Peter and the Wolf"?
And I, for example, am convinced that the Ukrainian side is not interested in attacking Donetsk. Even if this attack is effective (which, in the conditions of a million-plus city and, bearing in mind our repeatedly proven determination to fight for every house, will not be, of course). In the context of a decrease in excess profits from theft from the transit “pipe”, the best way to obtain them, today, in Ukraine is military action in the Donbass, for which huge non-repayable loans are taken out in the West. Are they crazy to deprive themselves of profits? It's not like that at all!
We need to work for the future. Four years have passed. It's time to think about the future.
Previously, Akhmetovites won all elections in the region due to blatant falsifications. Under the control of international organizations, including Russian ones, it will be difficult to falsify elections. And we won’t give it (no matter what the threat may be!). So I am for elections.
"PolitNavigator": Why do you advocate a change of power? What are your complaints about current officials?
Roman Manekin: I have no complaints. I'm analyzing the situation. And it's obvious. Over the past four years, there has been no progress either on the front lines or internationally. Moreover, social tensions are being artificially maintained within the republic, and foreign policy is practically nonexistent: there's not even a voice! Including in matters directly affecting the vital interests of the population. Anyone can decide the fate of Donbas: the Normandy Four and so on, but not the Donbas people. No one listens to them or takes them seriously. Even though they are being killed every day and tormented by the economic blockade!
As for domestic politics, it was replaced by arrests. I once counted the number of ministers arrested over the past four years. The number is simply terrifying! The composition of the government changed three times. Moreover, in each of the three rotations, during the period of their existence, up to 80% of managers lost their posts. A similar situation – if not worse! – at the grassroots level. In normal Russian this is called “personnel leapfrog”.
I am not going to discuss now whether certain ministers were arrested correctly. The question is, who appointed them? For me, any resignation means failure in a specific area of work. And when people are permanently appointed and removed, then what kind of work can there be, in principle? This is basic inability to manage! It is not called otherwise.
As for the economy, any Donbass resident is able to assess its level by simply tearing off the door of the home refrigerator...
I am sure that the current ruling elite has completely exhausted its political resources. We need to start from the lower levels of power, as we proposed in the summer of 2014 (by the way, then the Akhmetovites fled from Donetsk, only those who were ready to give their lives for the republic remained in the city, so, in a certain sense, it would be easier) .
So the complaints are not mine at all. There are realities of life. They will have to be taken into account. Or ignore it. But then, the flywheel of repression needs to be spun even stronger. Where it leads? And in the confrontation with Ukraine?
"PolitNavigator": How do the ordinary population of Donbass live in the fifth year of the war?
Roman Manekin: Ordinary people are living very poorly. They're just surviving. This year, the grain crops burned up. (As luck would have it, the authorities declared agriculture the economic priority of INDUSTRIAL Donbas.) Last year, there was a harvest, but this year, they burned up. Prices have skyrocketed. And what is grain? It's not just bread. It's livestock feed. That means meat, milk, eggs. All in all, it's going to be a tough winter.
At the beginning of the harvest there was a gasoline collapse. Another “switchman” was imprisoned, but there are no guarantees of a repeat, of course. Management crisis in the coal industry...
We live hard: it’s true! But there will be no Ukraine in Donbass. I am absolutely sure of this! ...People live poorly - it’s true. But these are our people. And they won't give up!
English version :: Read in English "Life is hard – it's true! But there will be no Ukraine in Donbas"