Former
press secretary of ex-Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich shared her
experience of “going into power” with journalist of "Kiev Newspaper".
However, guidance of newspaper forbade printing this interview. ForUm gives a full text of Anna Herman revelations.
- Madam Ann, how do you estimate your experience of collaboration with Victor Yanukovich?
-
Those eight months were not simple in my life. But, remembering that
time, when I accepted this shocking for many and, maybe, for me
decision, I can say: today I would do the same. I met a lot of
remarkable people during this difficult period. People from Donbass…
You
know, Ukraine becomes black and white and more aggressive. People’s
propositions are unambiguous and categorical. It seems that colours
ceased to exist. There is no enough goodwill. The radical moods
increase. It makes me feel suspicious.
- It is a typical phenomenon for all revolutions.
-
Possibly. But it was not my revolution. I have made another choice. I
wanted to look straight into power‘s eyes, to be dipped in this power,
to understand its psychology. And it was my conscious choice.
- And what are your impressions?
-
You know, once in childhood my younger sister had a doll, beautiful and
soft. I wondered how its heart looked. Once I closed my sister in a
room, took scissors and cut a doll. There was a mass of sawdust.
The impressions from power appeared more difficult. Power has a lot of different hearts - hot, cold and stony.
- Do your present impressions about Yanukovich differ from those which you followed, making decision to co-operate with him?
-
Yes. Making decision, I followed only intuition and gust to cross
threshold of power. Personality of Yanukovich intrigued me. I like
strong natures and respect people which, as the saying goes "was
nobody, and did all by himself". I did not make a mistake in my main
estimations.
- What changed in him?
-
He became more liberated and he deeper experienced a human meanness. It
is a very pragmatic man. He is able to restrain emotions and ambitions.
I like his behaviour in present situation. Yes, he lost. More to say,
he was lost, was thrown very cruelly. Those, who pretended to support
Yanukovich, planned him as card for achievement of their aims. He
should have pretended weak and obedient. He showed his strength very
early. And they began to destroy him cruelly. This process proceeds
now.
- What is your consideration about motion and results of hustings of Yanukovich?
-
Yanukovich won in elections which took place in Ukraine. Further events
are difficult to name elections. It was a revolution in the issue of
which Victor Yushchenko came to power. And the main complication for
Yanukovich was struggle not with Yushchenko, but with the third person
which did not abandon hopes to be rescuer of nation.
- Do you mean Kuchma?
-
I said what I said… Here is a small example of that, how Yanukovich was
harmed during hustings. We arrived to Sumy in summer, just when
students’ agitations began there, tents stood... Yanukovich was offered
very tense, exhausting program. Only around midnight (without dinner
and rest) he was brought to a university. Children went out with the
learned by heart texts, told, how they would do everything, to shut out
the contagion of nationalism.
And I listened to this and thought why there is nobody with different meaning?
- Did you talk about it with the candidate?
-
I did not always manage to say Victor Feodorovich what I thought. In
Sumy, I said to the organizers of visit: let’s go to tents, to students
which have other points of view, let’s listen to them... But Yanukovich
was assured that there were no students, but provocateurs from Lvov
only. I was said not to meddle. There were some people wishing
Yanukovich good luck, but the majority did everything to expose him
For
example, when we arrived in any city, police surrounded that place,
where Yanukovich was supposed to meet with people. They simply kept
people out, even his supporters. Only "necessary" people were allowed.
- Who exposed Yanikovich in hustings?
-
Puppeteers which led Tigipko. These are my conclusions. Do you remember
a story about the first billboard? Yanukovich asked them not to do it.
Except for harm, to him personally these billboards gave nothing. If
there were possibility to put billboard with Yushchenko portrait – then
it is another matter. But someone needed to «set» people against
Yanukovich. They say, he has everything from power, but Yushchenko gets
nothing.
- Tigipko is guilty?
-
Tigipko executed somebody's will. Then Yanukovich ordered to take
billboards off, but his “supporters” came and said: Why? Let it be.
- So, Yanukovich did not even manage own hustings?
-
Yanukovich worked as premier and did not visit "Zorianij" before the
first round. He was occupied with pension and salary. These were two
absolutely different bodies: he and his staff.
- Why did not he take everything into his hands?
-
With his authority and will-power he forced the power to count on him.
But you know, what it means when nobody wants you. ... They only
pretended support, there was a completely another scenario. Probably,
it was most correct from his side to give up the connections with power
in July and after it take part in elections. But in this case he would
be destroyed immediately.
- Did something change in staff work, after Taras Chernovol headed it?
- Staff work became more open. Yanukovich trusted Chornovol. But to do something for two weeks is impossible.
-
How do you estimate the prospects of new opposition? Will Yanukovich
succeed to mobilize his 13 millions? In fact Party of regions is not
dying to be an opposition.
-
Yanukovich has a huge intuition. He is able to play “big games”. And it
seems to me that he already found the way. I know for sure, that he
will not do a single step in opposition for the sake of opposition. If
he sees that words and matters of new people in power carry harm, he
will contest against them pretty sharply. If he sees that their actions
are good for the country and people, he will support these people.
Now everything depends on Yanukovich’s behavior.
- Do not you feel in this situation «one against all»?
-
Against whom? I was never against. I was always for... For Yanukovich.
But I did nothing bad to Yushchenko and especially to Timoshenko, whom
I liked. But with Donetsk people it was more interesting. And I do not
regret about my choice. I managed to know true Donetsk character: they
are very open-hearted, sincere and good people.
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