To the President of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Mr. Gennadii Seleznev

Dear Mr. Seleznev,

the Antimilitarist Radical Association (ARA) is a public organisation. It's main objective is the soonest adoption of an Alternative civilian service federal law in Russia.

In 1995 the ARA together with the Committee of the Mothers of Soldiers of Russia collected and passed to the State Duma nearly 10 000 signatures of Russian citizens who joined the appeal for the soonest adoption of the Alternative civilian service law.

On ARA's initiative since the spring '97 till now nearly 700 000 citizens sent You by post their personal appeals asking You to accelerate the adoption of a democratic non-discriminatory alternative civilian service law. Hundreds of young Russian joined our Civil obedience campaign for the adoption of the ASC law and applied for the alternative civilian service instead of the military service. However, the 6-the Duma has never discussed the Alternative civilian service draft law, adopted in the first reading in December 1994.

On behalf of the Antimilitarist Radical Association and of thousands of people who joined the all-Russian public campaign for the adoption of the alternative civilian service draft law we ask You to receive ARA delegation and discuss this draft law, probably the most long-suffering draft law of the Russian parliamentarism.

The delegation will include: ARA president Duma deputy Valerii Borschev, ARA Secretary Nikolai Khramov, acting ARA Treasurer Anna Zaitseva, President of the ARA General Council Ljudmila Obraztsova, Vice-president of the ARA General Council Kirill Shulika, Vice-president of the ARA General Council and deputy of the City Assembly of Obninsk Tat'jana Kotljar, deputies of the State Duma Julii Rybakov, Galina Storovojtova and Igor Lukashev.

Valerij BORSCEV, President

Nikolai KHRAMOV, Secretary