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Press Release of Anti-militarist Radical Association (ARA)

For Immediate Release

Moscow, February 15, 1996

In the context of yesterday's voting in the State Duma on the issue of overcoming presidential veto on Sergej Jushenkov's amendments to the law on military service, the following declaration was made by Nikolaj Khramov, secretary of ARA:

"Nothing unexpected happened yesterday in Duma. The result was clear yet on December 17th if not before. 83 MPs among 450 - that's all what in the new Russian parliament opponents of war and militarism, advocates of military reform could have at their disposal. Actually, very problematic becomes now not only fate of Jushenkov's amendments but also of the long-suffering conscientious objection bill, not say about perspectives of service terms' reduction and transition to a professional army.

The only thing which remains in such conditions for all democrats, liberals, anti-militarists is to prepare a referendum or a number of referendums on military laws: this must be both a good conscientious objection law, and amendments to the law on military service providing service terms' reducing up to 12 months, and - I do not exclude it - question about abandoning total conscription and transition to the professional recruitment.

I have no doubt about sense of Russian citizens' voting on such a REFERENDUM. Thus, the only goal which stands for anti-militarists is to gather two million of signatures necessary according the law. Is it real? I think yes, if all democratic, liberal, anti-militarist forces which weren't able to make a common front during the last elections will be able to unite themselves in the framework of this concrete campaign.

Exactly for this we Radical anti-militarists will work in the next months."

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For More Information:

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E-mail ara@glasnet.ru

A.R.A@agora.stm.it