Press release of the ARA

Moscow, October 6, 1998

For immediate release

TOMORROW, ON OCTOBER 7, STATE DUMA WILL CONSIDER THE SECOND READING OF THE PROPOSED LAW OF AN ALTERNATIVE CIVIL SERVICE. IF THE DEPUTIES WILL VOTE AGAINST IT, THERE WILL BE A GREEN LIGHT TO THE ALTERNATIVE PROJECT PROMOTED BY THE MILITARY OFFICE

On tomorrow's (October 7) morning plenary session of the State Duma the second reading of the proposed federal law called "Alternative Civil Employment" (ACE) will be considered once again. Its first reading was already approved in December 1994, but the second reading was twice rejected during 1995. This relatively liberal project, prepared by the members of former Duma - E. Malkin and the deceased V. Savitsky, is tabled at Duma by the Committee of Social Groups and Religious Organizations. It offers the civil type and relatively short term of employment (1.5 times more than that of the military service).

If the deputies will decide to reject this long-suffered second reading again, it will mean that in a few days at the lower chamber of Parliament the alternative project would be launched - the one prepared by the General Military Staff and tabled by MPs Albert Makashov (of the Communist Party) and Roman Popkovich (of "Our Home - Russia"). The latter project carries obviously andi-democratic and militaristic nature.

Antimilitarist Radical Association has issued today an appeal to all the deputies of State Duma. It says:

``This law <...> should guarantee to thousands of young Russian citizens of call-up age the implementation of their constitutional rights. The urgent need to enter this law in force is an inherent part of the obligations taken by our country at the introduction into the Europe Council in February 1996.

With each call-up the number of young citizens that officially declare their demand to replace the military service with an alternative civil service and that assert this right at court is increasing in geometrical progression. According to the Ministry of Defense, during only the last year this number was nearly doubled: from 675 men in the springtime call-up to 1061 in the autumn. All these people were not recruited because they have a right to replace the military service stated in Constitution, which takes a direct action. However, they don't pass an alternative service either, because the Federal Law of Alternative Civilian Sercice hasn't been approved yet. If the current rates of increase of such people's amount will remain the same (very likely these rates will even grow up), one year later - in autumn call-up of 1999 - at least 10% of citizens who are about to be called up will submit the conscientious objection applications and will not go to the military service, and two years later the half of the

called-up will wait for the conscientious objection law on a legal basis.

Not only those who are going to make the direct use of an alternative civil service law will need it. All the nation, all the voters and tax-payers need a liberal, non-discriminative law that gives citizens the ability to choose between the army barracks and the useful work in the social sphere or in public health services, because this law represents a first step in direction of a military reform, its necessary background and its effective tool.

Further delay in the approval of an alternative civil employment law will lead not only to the continuous mass violations of the constitutional rights of citizens, but also, in general, to the inevitable termination of the military call-up itself, which, in turn, having no measures on reforming the army's reinforcement system, will cause the most serious consequences to the whole armed forces of the Russian Federation.''

The Association, represented by its Secretary Nikolaj Khramov and Treasurer Anna Zaytseva, who have signed the petition, calls on the deputies to vote for the approval of the law's second reading, ``independently, not yielding to pressure, group discipline or improperly taken principle of "divisions of competence", weight all the "pro's and con's" and make the decision based on your own convictions and the interests of your electorate.''

Tomorrow in the morning at the entrance of Duma's meeting hall the activists of ARA will give to the deputies the text of this appeal in favour of immediate approval of the law on alternative civil service.

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Antimilitarist Radical Association

Tel./fax +7-095-923.91.27

http://www.glasnet.ru/~ara