Ksenia Sobchak: “I was trying to stifle in the arms of the Kremlin”
The announcement of Ksenia Sobchak about the intention to compete with Vladimir Putin in the elections became the main surprise of the political season. In interview Bi-bi-si Sobchak said when I started to think about the nomination, both helped with the investigation Alexei Navalny, what’s going on in her staff and why she reappeared in the air of Federal channels.
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“As soon as the money went plum”
Bi-bi-si: In one of your interviews you said that he offered Alexei Navalny to develop a joint action plan in case it will not allow the elections. When this conversation took place?
Ksenia Sobchak: I don’t remember Exactly but it was about a week before its public treatment, where he called my views are cannibalistic and so on. It was in the fall, probably in early September.
Bi-bi-si: 9 June on “Rain” before your interview with him Navalny said: well who has presidential ambitions, so it is Xenia Sobchak. He then already knew what you are planning?
K. S.: I think he didn’t understand. Rather, it was a story related to our interview with my journalistic work. Many began to criticize him after this interview. I was just doing my job, and in this sense not can you comment on it. I know that Alex at the end of the interview some said such things.
Bi-bi-si: it Turns out that your willingness to announce the decision is ripe in the autumn?
K. S.: No, it was somewhere in July. I first started to talk about it with their friends-businessmen, those people who agreed to Fund this campaign, in the second half of July.
In August it became clear that this was a serious thing. We began to develop a system, to think how we are going to do a campaign, and so on.
As soon as there was money in the account, immediately went to the plum of the presidential administration, the article in the “Gazette” (newspaper “Vedomosti” was the first to mention the possible involvement of Sobchak in the race September 1 — bi-Bi-si).
It was amazing how this system works. Because exactly on the day when I sponsors transferred a large sum of money for the campaign, and this article appeared. Apparently, somewhere there realized that this is serious. Started.
Bi-bi-si: Skeptics believe that the campaign Ksenia Sobchak need to let off steam from-for not admission the Bulk. Navalny has a plan to protest if he will not allow. Then you come in and offer to vote for themselves. Would that weaken Bulk?
K. S.: No! How I can loosen it? On the contrary, make us stronger, because we pursue the same goals, just different methods.
Not all people being arrested — that’s what they are.
Many people across the country oppose Putin. They are ready to do something, but going to jail is not ready. Why not provide them with legal procedure? What’s wrong with that? I really don’t understand.
How can I ease the Bulk, if I defend his position, if I believe that he should be allowed to vote if I support his principles? I even helped him make some of his investigations.
I just show another way. I said, “Guys, if you want to go outside and protest, fine, you’re heroes. Forward, this is the right thing, it’s great that you are ready for it. But for those who are not ready to go outside, there is another way.”
Bi-bi-si: Can you give an example of at least one person who would try to get the most important position in the country, having no political base, experience, party at the back? Who is your role model?
K. S.: I about their chances in these elections is very realistic.
I understand that the chance to become President even less than the minimum. But there is the concept of elections, which can turn the situation around, and there are many examples.
We remember the referendum on the [Chilean dictator Augusto] Pinochet. He thought that he had all the power in the country, but after the referendum he lost power.
I want these elections became a referendum about trust to Putin. The people who will vote I will not vote for me but against Putin and his system.