Final Vote Passed to Increase Term of Military Service
With a 124 to 4 vote the Parliament approved amendment, in its third and final hearing, to the Law on Military Service on February 25, envisaging increase of compulsory military service from current 12 to 18 months.
The amendment will not apply to those conscripts, who have already been recruited in the army.
This increase of term comes less than four months after the parliamentarians supported a reduction of the term of service.
In October, 2004 the Georgian Parliament approved amendments to the law on Compulsory Military Service, envisaging a reduction of the 18-month military service to 12 months. In 1999 the compulsory military service was reduced from 24 to 18 months.
Officials say the 18-month term will be in force until 2008; afterwards, Georgia intends to switch to a contract system.
The parliamentary opposition blames authorities of implementing an ?inconsistent policy? regarding the terms of military service. However, officials say the authorities? decisions regarding military issues are in the line with that of Georgia?s Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO.
The IPAP, which sets defense and political reform goals to be implemented by the government within the next two years, was approved by NATO last October. But details of Georgia?s IPAP still remain unknown as, according to the Defense Ministry, the Georgian government has classified the document.
