The Defense Ministry has not confirmed the claim made by MP Hayk Sargsyan of the ruling Civil Contract faction that children from families with substantial business holdings are generally exempted from conscription, Sputnik Armenia reports.
Previously, MP Sargsyan had stated that the children of families among the top thousand taxpayers, who possess considerable wealth, are mostly not drafted into the army. He said he received this information during working discussions with Defense Ministry representatives.
“The Defense Ministry does not maintain such records. We have no other information,” the ministry stated.
According to new proposed legislation on military service, an optional model is introduced: compulsory service may last one month for a fee of 24 million drams, or four months for 18 million drams. The bill also stipulates a 15 million dram state duty for renouncing Armenian citizenship before the age of 16. The upper age limit for compulsory service will be set at 32.
The draft law received government approval on May 22 and is expected to be discussed in the National Assembly. However, the parliamentary committee session scheduled for May 26 has been postponed.
