The candidacy from the United opposition was an intrigue for the dwellers of the election district #159 (Sumy oblast, with center in Hlukhiv city). The party was making up its mind regarding the candidacy for a long time, but finally it became known that during the elections the opposition will be represented by the member of Svoboda Artem Semenikhin.
Hi is 30 years old. He was born in Konotop city and graduated from the Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, where he received a diploma of the Financial analyst. He is a private entrepreneur, the Head of Konotop organization of the All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda, the member of party's economic council, and a civil activist. We met Artem during his first visit to Hlukhiv.
- Artem, today it is already a fact that your party obtained the right to nominate only one candidate from the United opposition if Hlukhiv district. It is known that earlier you planned to be a candidate in a neighboring district. What is your attitude to the fact that you suddenly became a candidate in Hlukhiv district?
- It is normal. I am a party member. If the party says so, I have to fulfill it. I have a task and a goal - the means will be found later. I don't care whether it will be Hlukhiv, Lviv or Donetsk.
- There are no developed structures of Svoboda in the district and its ratings during the last elections were not high either. Taking into account these facts, is your goal to work for the party list or to win the election in the district and become a deputy?
- I want to emphasize at once that I am not only the representative of Svoboda, but also the candidate from the United opposition. Let's proceed from these facts. My ideological views do not coincide with the ideology of the Fatherland and Yatseniuk. I follow the nationalistic ideology. At the moment the given situation does not give us another choice, except of uniting people of different ideologies into one team. We are united by the common misfortune and by the need to take away the power form the bandit government, which is governed from Moscow and accroaches all national resources in order to resell them. Obviously, they plan either to leave the territory of Ukraine or to turn the people into the slaves.
- Probably you already have some plans regarding the election campaign and, as I understand, you are geared up for the victory?
- Yes, sure. I did not come here just to increase the ratings of Svoboda or Fatherland. I came here to win. It is for sure. I have no doubts that I will win because the intelligent people constitute majority and not minority. The intelligent people see the bad condition of the country and people. The further goes the "improvement" the more real is the deterioration. The high tariffs for water supply are an example in Hlukhiv city. The tariffs are really extortionate. The money goes nowhere and is motivated by the unknown things. The local authorities want to enrich themselves as much as possible. It is a total disaster. Just recently I have started to study the situation in Hlukhiv. It is pleasant that the number of signs in Ukrainian is bigger than I expected. It is the only pleasant thing.
I have no doubts that I will win, because the intelligent people constitute he majority and not a minority
- What do you think about your main opponent and, as it seem, the favorite of the races - Andrii Derkach?
- Who called him a favorite? I consider him to be an outsider and only because he is the member of the Party of Regions. A normal person cannot be a member of the Party of Regions. That is why I would not call him a favorite.
- At least at the moment he is a favorite according to the activity of his election campaign...
- If he conducts his election campaign in the period when such activity is forbidden, thus, it only proves that he is a bandit and a representative of a clan of criminals and oligarchs. He is a Moscow protege, a local princeling, who we will soon say goodbye to. He will be accountable for his activity in full.
- What are your predictions for October 28, regarding the election results in Ukraine and in Hlukhiv district?
- I am still not able to predict the results in the district. Obviously, there will be falsifications and heavy ones. Today I have found out about Hlukhiv city Mayor elections in 2006, when, according to the surveys, the candidate from the Fatherland won, but Derkach made his protege win. In general, there are two scenarios in Ukraine. If the heads of the Party of Regions and the government have at least a little bit of common sense, then they will try to conduct their campaign as honestly as possible and to resort to falsification less. If they have neither common sense nor intellect then the people will revolt. I believe in it, I know it and I do not doubt it. Then the people will decide what will be next. I got this feeling during the meeting with entrepreneurs, ordinary people and peasants as the Head of Konotop organization of the All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda. They are waiting for October 28. If the events of 2004 repeat then, unfortunately, it will be not without blood. I don't want this to happen.
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