The "Fact" daily writes:
The external environment remains unstable, Turkey and Azerbaijan are constantly expanding their military and political presence in the region, while the current state of the Armenian Armed Forces and the national security system is required to be immediate deep review and strategic reconstruction and reorganization. In the near future, Armenia will have more serious problems if there are no consequences from this point of view. But the latest changes and proposals in the context of the defense system will not only be directed to strengthen the army, but, on the contrary, its institutional basis is endangered.
In recent days, the legislative initiative, the obligatory military service is to replace a major financial payment and serve a shorter period, not only violates the principle of equality, but actually forms a major polarization. On one side will be those who can pay and get rid of the service or service in the "facilitated" version, on the other side of those who have to wear on their shoulders throughout the burden of service. This model is deeply unfair, contradicts the idea of universal defense and ethics. This mechanism undermines the public perception of the army, turning it into a penalty or social burden, not the symbol of national unity.
We are not yet talking about the fact that, for example, the service may not be able to yield for a month. Only for the employees will adapt to the army conditions, it must be taken longer than a month. Yes, it is possible that there is such a thing. But it turns out that instead of fighting corruption in this field (as these authorities promised) they are going to legalize bribes. And if you may now be afraid to be afraid to give a bribe and take it, after the adoption of the law will be imposed on legal grounds. It is worrying that such a proposal is made in a situation where the army has been demonstrated during these years due to the specific targeting of the authorities, personnel errors, inefficient management, and many incidents related to the safety of servicemen and security of servicemen.
Every month, there are regular information on injuries or dead soldiers, not the lack of combat actions, but a lack of internal discipline, or medical negligence. This image proves that the system is in a deep crisis.
In addition, we see the state policy again to refrain from deep reforms to improve the efficiency of the army, instead, can be described as a "social engineering" by gradually changing the ideological and organizational sub-deployment of the army. It is openly dangerous because of Armenia, taking into account its geopolitical position, the army should always be the pillar of public unity. If this pillar is replaced by a sample model where the service becomes the fate of the poor, the whole state security system will lose its unity and national nature. In other words, when society feels that the state itself underestimates the value of the service, the same society cannot be expressed, the necessary at the time of self-sacrifice or resistance. The fact that this legislative initiative is not accompanied by a wide public discussion. This shows that defense decisions are made not by popular involvement, but with internal cabinet agreements that do not reflect the wide society's will. This situation leads to the deepening of the trust crisis, especially when Armenia has doubted the transparency of the state system, to deepen the cooperation and exchange some weapons and exchange the internal structure of the army. The state that is unable to form active mechanisms, of course, cannot expect others to create such mechanisms.
The army is not only on weapons that provides power. It is the backbone of the state, and without a healthy spine is an unstable structure, vulnerable to all sides.
Arthur Karapetyan
