The bill on the abolition of postponement from military service was the subject of sharp debate in the Armenian parliament
ArmInfo. A deputy from the Elk bloc, Mane Tandilyan, accused the Armenian Defense Ministry of corruption, declaring from the rostrum of the parliament that it takes 15-20 thousand USD to be released from compulsory military service.
"All those who claim that the process of illegal release from military service is complicated, are mistaken, only rates have risen - from the previous 7 thousand to 15020 thousand USD," she said.
"You always say that social justice is being restored, but where is your social justice." Today, young people who have health problems are serving in Army and healthy young people are released for money or acquaintance," Tandilyan said.
ARF Dashnaktsutyun deputy Romik Manukyan noted that the April war showed that Armenia needs volunteer detachments. "The April war showed that we do not have experienced, trained volunteer detachments. These detachments should primarily assisted the army. We must have volunteer units that will provide first aid in case of war. ARF Dashnaktsutyun will vote for this bill, and we are ready for cooperation," Manukyan said.
Romik Manukyan also noted that the lack of experience of young servicemen is one of the main reasons for the fact that there are victims on the front line. "A very good point is also that it is possible to release the foremost from the recruits and replace them with contract servicemen. We mainly carry the victims precisely because of the inexperience of the recruits," the deputy stressed.
The deputy from the Elk bloc Edmond Marukyan noted that this bill, concerning the abolition of the right to postpone military service, is absolutely not credible, as it is represented by the Government, which has always encouraged the possibility of release from service in the Armed Forces. Marukyan noted that over the years the Ministry of Defense awarded awards to high-ranking officials who never served in the army, but they receive medals from the Defense Ministry. "In other words, the authorities encouraged attempts to get rid of military service, and now they say that they cancel the postponement, and everyone must serve," the deputy expressed his dissatisfaction. He also disagreed with the opinion that thus the principle of equality between citizens is being formed. "This equality is for the poor only, it concerns those who are vulnerable," concluded Marukyan.
The head of the Elk faction, Nikol Pashinyan, also expressed his dissatisfaction with this bill. He noted that there are several "privileged" groups of people who release their children from the army through acquaintances and bribes. He also stressed that the Ministry of Defense has secret programs. "A huge number of people are released every year from the army, of which 90% are released due to health problems, and 10% are due to a student's deferment," Pashinyan said, noting that if a certain percentage has health problems, then at least 45% have ties and are embedded in the corruption system. Also, the deputy noted that now even the children who, having lived abroad all their lives, are taken into the army, they came to their homeland, let us say for a funeral. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the postponement is canceled for all students, except for students of theological seminaries. "It turns out that in our society there is a privileged category - clergymen", said the deputy.
Earlier Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan stated that the postponement of the army is given selectively to students of higher educational institutions. The minister stressed that such an approach unconditionally contains corruption risks. And it is completely unclear why a student who misses 1 or 2 points in examinations should interrupt his studies for 2 years, while another student who passes the exams is not much better, can continue studying. The minister stressed that from students who received the first academic postponement, then not less than 16% are called upon. "Thus, it seems that study becomes for them an occasion to not serve then," Sargsyan added, stressing that this is possible if the number of places in full-time free magistracy is significantly less than the number of places in the bachelor's program. "However, since 2018, no one will receive a postponement," Vigen Sargsyan said. He noted that directly from July 2018 academic postponements will no longer be from the word in general. This is the basis of the changes. The notion of "postponement of military service", however, will be replaced by substantial benefits. And if any citizen has family problems, or health problems, with special restrictions, the ministry should so strengthen the mechanism so that, after solving this problem, give the given citizen the opportunity to serve. Sargsyan strongly stated that those cases when a citizen does not pass service is unacceptable and must be eradicated. "Having established in a number of laws restrictions for those who have not served, and also by our numerous and consistent steps, we must give reason for reflection," the Minister summed up on this bright note.