01 October 2003 03:43
Nemtsov says army service should become contract-based
MOSCOW. Oct 1 (Interfax) - Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Duma faction Union of Right Forces, has said that he believes
the Russian army should immediately start being staffed with contract servicemen.
There are two strategies for the development of the Russian army:
the cancellation of the existing conscription deferrals or "an
"Already, the [2003] fall conscription will encounter great difficulties, [and] we face a demographic crisis in
the near future. In this situation, the military will have to either take all young men in the army or change the
conscription system," Nemtsov told a news conference at the Interfax central office.
immediate transition to a contract-based professional army."
Nemtsov said he opposes the first strategy. Currently, "many young men called up for military service are sick,
one out of every four conscripts has not finished secondary school, 5% cannot read or write, every fourth conscript has
tried drugs, and 5% have previous convictions," he said.
In addition, the introduction of a new conscription system will help resolve the problem of hazing new conscripts,
Nemtsov said. He said, citing the Main Military Prosecutor's Office, that over 2,000 soldiers were hurt and 513
were killed as a result of hazing last year. "At the same time, according to the Soldiers' Mothers'
Committee, the number of casualties reaches 20,000," he said. [RU EEU EUROPE ASIA EMRG VIO POL] av tj <>
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