RADICAL PARTY AND ARA OPENED PETITION CAMPAIGN "THE THIRD MILLENNIUM WITHOUT DRAFT SLAVERY" BY THE MANIFESTATION ON PUSHKIN SQUARE IN MOSCOW

Moscow, May 22, 1999 -- Manifestation organized by the Radical Party and ARA, which opened petition campaign "The Third Millennium Without Draft Slavery" for abrogation of conscription and transition to the professional armed forces, has taken place today at Pushkin square.

About fifty activists of Radical Party and ARA participated in the action. During the manifestation have spoken Nikolaj Khramov, secretary of ARA, Ljudmila Obrazcova, president of General Council of ARA and leader of Russian Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, Irina Boganceva, president of the association "Democratic Perspective", Anna Zajceva, treasurer of ARA.

The petition campaign launched today is addressed to Russian parliament of the next convocation and would last eight months, till January 2000 when the Seventh State Duma will convene first time after the upcoming political elections. As for today, the first 157 signatures are collected. During the action on Pushkin square which lasted from 12.00 to 1.00 PM, two new persons adhered ARA for 1999. 200 rubles of contributions have been collected.

Currently the English text of the petition "The Third Millennium Without Draft Slavery" is available for adhesion on-line at http://www.radicalparty.org. In couple of days the adhesion form would be available also in Russian language on ARA's web site at http://www.glasnet.ru/~ara.