Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Zinchenko, who was removed from the membership of the SDPU(o) last year, is holding talks on joining a serious political force that will participate in the presidential elections. Zinchenko stated this in an interview with the business weekly "Galician Contracts." \n \n"I do not intend to be an observer in the political game. Here I am putting three dots for now. Because work and coordination of interests are necessary," said Zinchenko. \n \nHe did not name the political force with which he is conducting talks. At the same time, Zinchenko specified its criteria. According to him, it is about a force "that has placed patriotism and the future of the country, its competitiveness in the future, as the main thing. It must be able to fight, be effective, rely on the trust of a significant number of citizens. To see their interests as its own above all. To be able to listen and hear different points of view, to make compromise decisions that take into account people's interests but at the same time bring this force closer to its goal. These are people capable of persuading and accumulating another point of view and incorporating it into their program, even if they personally do not like it." \n \nIn this force, according to Zinchenko, there are people "who have gained experience working in power, in opposition, in various administrative systems. They are realists who not only claim power but are also capable of managing it effectively." \n \nAt the same time, the vice-speaker believes that in real conditions "what is more effective is not an extremely rigid party structure, but in the good sense a 'club system,' a coalition of opinions, protected by an outer shell — a boundary beyond which something is unacceptable." Members of this force, Zinchenko added, may be at a considerable distance from each other on secondary issues, but on the main things their principles coincide. \n \nRecall that Vice-Speaker Oleksandr Zinchenko filed an application last June to step down from the post of first deputy head of the SDPU(o). On September 10 last year, Zinchenko was expelled from the SDPU(o) due to the fact that he "does not support the party's political line." \n \nLast November, "Lvivska Hazeta" reported that active negotiations were ongoing between Oleksandr Zinchenko and the leaders of "Our Ukraine" regarding the possible entry of the vice-speaker into "NU." At the same time, Zinchenko himself did not specifically confirm the facts of negotiations with "NU." \n